The Potion
by New Heart
Summary: Jester wants Jane to see him as more than a friend. Can the wizard's potion help?
1. Friends

Chapter 1 – Friends

Jane dropped the final chunk of firewood onto the pile and dragged herself towards the kitchen. Her feet moved like lead, but the delicious aroma drew her steadily onward. Upon reaching the kitchen the female squire leaned in over the boiling pot to inhale deeply before ladling several spoonfuls into her bowl. Pepper always left food out for those who were late in coming to the mid-day meal. It was kind of her to take care of them while she was in the garden picking out vegetables, but more than one friend suspected that her supply of fresh produce was not the only thing that pulled the young cook away from her kitchen each day.

The sound of heavy footfalls caught Jane's attention. She turned to watch the court jester trudge wearily down the stairs to join her in the empty kitchen. He flopped down on the nearest bench, propped his elbows on the table, and dropped his head into his hands. After filling a second bowl with soup, the red-head took the seat next to her friend and placed a bowl before him. When he did not as much as look up; her forehead furrowed.

"Jester, what is wrong?" Jane placed a hand on his arm reassuringly, concern written across her face.

The young man let out a long sigh before answering. His voice started quiet, but grew quickly as his frustration bubbled out. "I spent all morning in the library with prince Cuthbert. He ought to be able to write _whole passages_ by now, but he barely knows his _letters_. Honestly I think it would be easier to teach Smithy's **pig** to read than it is to get his royal highness to pay attention for a _single_ lesson."

Jane chuckled quietly, but at seeing the look on her friend's face quickly coughed to cover up her mirth. The minstrel barely registered her reaction as he continued on his rant, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation.

"The King wants him to be able to write his own name by the end of the day. Can you imagine? A boy who can hardly recognize his name in print is supposed to be able to write it himself in only one day! As if that was not difficult enough, the King has also commissioned me to write a new ballad for tonight's meal. I barely have one verse, and the way things are going with the prince, I will have no time to work on it."

The young minstrel dropped his head and pressed his fingers to his temple. With a sigh his shoulders slumped even lower than before. Jane gave a small, sad smile then wrapped her arms around the boy. When she pulled away the blue hat raised slightly as Jester gave her a half-hearted smile.

"I have some free time before my next patrol. Let me work with the prince for a while and you can go finish your song."

His eyebrows raised in surprise, then lowered in concern, "But Jane, you just spent all morning carrying loads of wood from the village to the castle. It is sweet of you to offer, but surely you need a break too. I will find a way."

"No. I insist, Jester. You are tired and worried and I intend to help in any way possible. Do not try and talk me out of this. You know how stubborn I can be."

The court fool managed a small chuckle. "You are right on that count." Tentatively he laid a hand on her arm and met her gaze. "Thank you, Jane."

She smiled warmly and laid her hand over his, squeezing it tightly, "Any time, Jester." Turning to put away her bowl, she continued, "After all, what are friends for?"

The hopeful smile that had budded on the boy's face vanished at her words. "Right…friends…" he mumbled to himself as the female squire headed in the direction of the prince's room. Jester finished the remainder of his meal slowly, distracted by thoughts of his best friend.

Later that evening, the prince had managed to write his initials, which was enough to pacify the King, and the new ballad had received a hearty round of applause. Still the court fool's troubled thoughts remained. He snuck away as soon as possible, not wanting his friends to notice his pensive mood, and sat near the wizard's broken-down tower idly plucking a melancholy tune on his lute. The long, scraggly shadows and general eeriness of the place seemed to match his frame of mind perfectly. The boy was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he did not hear the squeak of ancient door hinges or notice the shadow that slowly lengthened beside his. When a hand gripped his shoulder, Jester froze. Slowly he raised his head to meet the anxious gaze of the old wizard.

The boy gradually released the breath he barely knew he had been holding. "You really should not sneak up on folks, sir, especially late at night."

"Oh, I am sorry, my boy. I did not mean to frighten you, but you seemed bothered about something." The jester hung his head sheepishly.

"Such a sad song you were playing," the wizard pondered aloud. "What could be so troubling that a talented court jester would seek the isolation of this corner of the gardens, especially after such a marvelous performance, and when all his friends are still inside enjoying themselves?"

Jester tilted his head up quizzically. "But you were not in the… how did you know …"

The wizened old man dismissed his questions with a wave of his hand, "Minor details."

Two bright eyes fixed on the lad before him as he continued expectantly. "Come, come my boy. Tell me what is bothering you."

"It is just that…well, you see…" The musician sighed. "It is pretty complicated."

"Ah… a girl, then." Jester looked up at the older man in shock. "Do not look so surprised, my lad! I have been around for a long time." The wizard stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm… I wonder… could it be that young squire with the dragon, perhaps? Joan… I think?"

"Her name is Jane, sir."

The older man smiled, then winked. "Yes, of course. Follow me, my boy. I believe I have something that may help you."

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**End Note: ****Yes… I have finally started a multi-chapter Jane/Jester story. For added bonus points, I included the wizard! It's been awhile since I have written anything so hopefully this chapter makes sense. **

**Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this first chapter, or have a question/comment, please review. You'll make my day.**

**Oh, and of course. None of these characters belong to me. I just enjoy borrowing them from time to time.**


	2. Instructions

Chapter 2 – Instructions

"The potion must be administered gradually, a drop or two a day. Any quicker and your young lady, along with everyone else in the castle, will guess what is going on."

The wizard's words from the night before continued to circle through Jester's head mirroring the small red vial absentmindedly rolling around his hand. As his eyes fell upon the booklet of instructions an uncertain frown crossed his face. There was a page of directions for each day. It seemed somewhat ridiculous to the minstrel for the instructions to weigh more then the potion, but the wizard had insisted that the concoction would not reach its full potency unless they were followed precisely.

Still idly fingering the glass container, the boy flipped to the first page.

_Day One: Sit directly next to or across from the object of your affection as often as possible._

Jester's forehead creased momentarily. Then with a shrug of the shoulders, he stashed the potion in a pocket and stepped out. The chilly morning air added a quickness to his steps as he hurried past the empty picnic table into the warm kitchen.

"Good morning, Pepper," he called, stifling a yawn.

"My, you are certainly up early today!" the pretty young cook responded from her spot before the fireplace.

"Had trouble sleeping last night," he answered truthfully. "After drifting awake for the _hundredth_ time I decided to at least come put my restlessness to good use."

Pepper looked over her shoulder at him curiously and, to the boy's great relief, chose to not pry any further.

"The excitement of a new ballad well received, no doubt. I have the same struggle after creating a brand new dish." With an understanding grin she turned back to the fire. "I can carry out the porridge and bowls. Perhaps you could get the milk pitcher and cups for me." So saying, she expertly balanced five bowls in one hand while hefting a large black pot in the other and made her way up the stairs.

Jester grinned at his good fortune. He could not have planned it better himself. The minstrel was just reaching to pull the stopper off the top of the vial when he heard a door creak behind him. Pasting a smile on his face, Jester turned to greet his interrupter.

"Good morning… Jester? I, uh, did not expect to find _you_ here so early. I, umm... do you know where I could find Pepper?" The gardener was too intent on hiding a small flower behind his back to notice the court fool quickly stuffing something into his pocket. Before Jester could answer his friend, the cook reappeared at the top of the stairs.

"Rake!" Pepper's face lit up with delight upon seeing the bashful young man. Jester used their distraction to slip unnoticed out of the kitchen, carrying his share of the breakfast things out to the table.

Any hope Jester had to get a moment or two alone outside was dashed when he found Jane and Smithy already seated side by side spooning large portions of the warm porridge into their bowls. Jane's eyebrows raised in surprise when she caught sight of him. With an impish smile, she turned to the blacksmith.

"Smithy, what hour did you say it was?"

"I believe I heard the town clock strike 6 not long ago," he replied with a knowing chuckle.

"Hmm… perhaps you should take a look at it, for that certainly can not be correct if our Jester is already up and about."

"For your information I _happen_ to be helping Pepper with _breakfast_ this morning," the court fool retorted with an air of feigned hurt pride.

The effect was lost, however, when his foot slipped on a loose stone sending the precariously balanced cups clattering across the table. The milk was saved only by Jane's quick reflexes. For one brief moment her hands were clasped over his and their eyes locked; then both burst out laughing.

Still chuckling, Jester slipped into the seat across from Jane and mentally placed a check next to the day's instructions. His plans of slipping a drop of potion into her drink evaporated as she grabbed one of the fallen mugs and filled it with milk. He would have to resort to what he had always done best – deception. Spotting a glass that had fallen off the table, Jester was struck with a brilliant idea. While leaning down to pick it up he pulled out the red vial and poured just one drop of the clear liquid inside before filling it with milk and placing it before himself, no one the wiser.

He did not have long before Rake and Pepper would come up to join them. It was a good thing he was such a good actor. Waiting a moment or two, Jester began to stretch his neck to the side and squint his eyes as though he were straining to see something. It did not take long for this to get both Smithy and Jane's attention.

"Is that… is that Dragon?" he asked in a worried tone. Jane and Smithy both immediately turned to look at the sky behind them.

_Clink. Clank._

Quick as a wink, Jester had swapped his cup with Jane's. The female squire turned back to her friend.

"I do not see anything."

Smithy was still searching the skies. "Wait, there is something. Oh, no. It is just a bird."

"Oops." Jester's sheepish grin was rewarded with a skeptical look from Jane.

Moments later the cook and gardener walked up to join them for the morning meal. Jester watched anxiously as Jane took a drink from "her" cup. When she paused and frowned slightly, the color began to drain from the minstrel's face. Then Jane turned to Rake.

"Your roses seem to be extra fragrant this year, Rake. I can smell them from here."

Jester had to resist a small chuckle when everyone stopped to sniff the air. The gardener gave her a bright smile.

"You must have a very good nose, Jane. Even I can not smell them this far away."

Jester's smile grew when she then turned to him, shrugged her shoulders and gave a sweet, if confused, grin.

At the midday meal Jester swooped in to snag the spot next to Jane only moments after she had found a seat. The first time their arms touched was purely by accident, but by the fourth time Jester thought he saw the edge of Jane's mouth turn up out of the corner of his eye. He then purposefully reached across the table for the bread, lightly brushing her arm as he did so. Jane attempted to give him an irritated look, but the sparkle in her eyes and the smile that threatened to break through gave her away. From that moment on the boy silently vowed to follow all the directions in his booklet exactly.

That evening the minstrel showed up early, placed his hat in front of Jane's favorite seat, effectively reserving it for her, and planted himself in the spot opposite. He was not going to chance the wizard's concoction loosing any of its potency. The hatless jester received several looks and some good-natured ribbing from his friends before Jane arrived. Several comments were made about how they had nearly forgotten the color of his hair, but if any suspected his true motives they did not let on.

To most of the participants, nothing at dinner seemed out of the ordinary. There was the typical friendly chatter, witty jokes, and plenty of good food. Dragon lounged in the garden behind them, munching on pumpkins and begging Pepper to make him some swamp water stew. Everything appeared normal. Yet in those moments when everyone else was distracted by laughter or conversation or food Jane would sneak furtive glances across the table towards Jester. Unbeknownst to her, he was doing the same. Only once did their eyes meet. Both immediately looked away, the female squire biting her lower lip and the young minstrel's ears tinged a light pink. Before turning in for the night Jane bumped his shoe with her own and with a private smile whispered her thanks for saving her a seat.

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**End Note: I had hoped to cover 4 or 5 days in this second chapter... obviously this story may end up quite a bit longer than I had anticipated.**

**Hopefully Jane isn't too out of character, but she is under the effect of a potion. At least that's my excuse for any OOC problems.  
**


	3. Communication

Chapter 3 - Communication

The next morning Jester bounced out of bed with a twinkle in his eye. He double checked his pocket for the potion and hurriedly flipped to the second page of instructions.

_Day Two _

_Communication is of utmost importance. Whether in a group or alone, talk to your special someone as often as possible. Ask questions, share opinions, but above all listen._

_Additionally, continue following the directions from day one._

_If you and your sweetheart have been friends for some time you may go on to the next set of instructions tomorrow. If you are not already friends, follow these directions for another week before moving on to day three._

Jester smiled to himself. This should be easy. He and Jane talked all the time. Not counting the big, green lizard in her life, he was her closest friend and confidant. Feeling quite sure of himself, the boy strode into the courtyard and immediately spotted Jane seated alone at the picnic table.

The red-head shot him a bright smile then called out, "Up early two days in a row I see." Her grin turned into a playful smirk. "Are you really our jester or some imposter sent to spy on us?"

Jester twisted his face into a scowl and answered in a deep villainous voice, pounding his fist into his hand dramatically, "Bat bladders! I have been found out! I would have gotten away with it too, if not for you…" a finger pointed accusingly at her, "… you, meddling girl."

Jane's responding giggles drew a smile from his lips as he took the seat across from her. Jester's grin slowly faded as she took a sip of milk. In his excitement that morning, the minstrel had neglected to plan how he would slip the potion into her drink. Jane noticed his eyes on her glass and rose to grab a cup.

"Can I pour you some milk?"

"No!" He jumped to his feet, startling the young squire. "I mean... I can get that."

As Jester reached for a cup his countenance suddenly brightened, instead of filling the glass with milk he put his brilliant juggling skills to work, amazing Jane with several one-handed tricks. Keeping his friend distracted with increasingly complicated throws, Jester used his free hand to pour a drop of the potion into an empty cup and fill it with milk. He then finished his performance by tossing the empty cup high in the air and catching it behind his back with both hands. Bringing one hand forward, Jane was surprised to see the cup was not empty, but filled with milk. Jester then brought his other hand around and revealed the empty cup to a hearty applause.

"That was fantastic, Jester!"

"What was fantastic?" called Pepper from the kitchen. Jane turned to yell down to her friend about the court fool's performance.

"You should have seen it Pepper…"

_Clink. Clank._ The two cups of milk swiftly swapped positions.

The girl turned at the sound to glance first at the boy in blue, then at the table. Seeing nothing amiss she resumed telling the cook about the amazing feat of flying pottery. Once the others had arrived and the morning meal underway, Jane repeated the tale for them all and had the court fool demonstrate some of his more complicated throws.

Jester loved that he could practically read Jane's mind just from the look on her face. A glance, a quirk of the eyebrows, the slightest change of her mouth; he knew what each meant. Now, after several sips from "her" cup of milk, the red-head's face spoke of uncertainty.

Waiting till no one was watching, the female squire met his gaze and mouthed across the table, "Can you smell the roses?"

Jester had to fight back a victorious smile. Carefully constructing a look of innocent confusion, he responded with an almost imperceptible shake of the head. Jane frowned slightly then returned to her meal. She finished eating her final few bites in contemplative silence despite Jester's best attempts to draw her into conversation. Hastily downing the last drops of milk, the female squire sped off to sparing practice calling out her goodbyes, leaving behind a clearly disappointed court fool.

Late morning found Jester seated at a table in the library with Prince Cuthbert. While writing his initials was a good start, the King still insisted his son learn to write his letters. The lad and his teacher were currently working on the young heir's name. Thus far it had been slow going.

"So you see, your highness, you draw a straight line down like so," the blue-clad tutor demonstrated. "Then you draw a little hill starting partway up the middle. Once you have learned this letter we will be half-way through your first name."

"Truly?" Jester almost missed the skeptical tone in the prince's voice as the door to the library creaked open and a flash of red hair caught his attention.

"Yes. Truly. Now, your highness, practice making "h's" until I return," he answered distractedly, then hastily added, "Remember, your father wants them to look absolutely perfect."

The prince nodded solemnly and moved to pick up the quill. He labored slowly over the first letter, glancing up frequently to watch as his tutor headed towards the back corner of the large room. Once he was out of sight, the boy quickly filled two rows of "h's", snuck one more peak over his shoulder, and stealthily crept out the door.

Jester slowly made his way down the center aisle, checking behind each bookcase for a familiar mass of red curls. He finally discovered her in the very last row, nose buried in a book. Crossing his arms over his chest, the boy leaned against a bookshelf. The bells on his hat jingled lightly, but Jane did not turn. Jester watched with a bemused expression as her eyes scanned the pages, completely absorbed. The thin worry lines between her eyebrows slowly smoothed over and her face began to glow with excitement as she hurriedly turned the page. Intrigued, the minstrel took a few steps closer and coughed lightly … with no response.

Just as the minstrel opened his mouth to try again the sun burst from behind a cloud, painting everything in shades of gold. Sunbeams flowed through a window behind Jane and seemed to catch in her hair, making it glow as though lit on fire from within. The light glinted off her armor, sending bright spots fluttering around the room. It was like something out of a fairy story. Jester found himself entranced at the sight.

Jane moved to turn the page and suddenly spotted him. Startled, she dropped the book to the floor, breaking his trance. Immediately both friends knelt to pick up the fallen volume. As they simultaneously lifted it off the ground her eyebrows rose in a silent question.

"Sorry," he murmured, "I was just… um…"

The minstrel's gaze flickered to the window, her face, the bookshelves, then finally landed on the object still held between them.

"I …wondered what had you so mesmerized. You did not see or hear me at all."

Jane smiled sheepishly. "Please do not mention that to Sir Ivon. He would be disappointed by my lack of alertness and would probably make me practice with the blindfold again. I was doing some research for Sir Theodore and came across this epic battle story. I guess I got too caught up in the tale to notice anything else. Here, look. It all started because some man fell in love with a girl from the enemy town."

Turning to a spot near the middle, she handed him the book. Jester flipped slowly through the pages.

"That is quite a long story. Perhaps you could give me the condensed version?" he looked at her hopefully.

"No! You ought to read it for yourself."

The boy frowned slightly and resumed flipping through the pages. Jane tilted her head to look at the books surrounding them. "Do you remember when we were little and used to hide in the library for hours at a time, reading the tales of great knights to each other?"

Jester smirked back at her. "We would empty out all the bottom shelves and build a fortress to hide behind."

She nodded in reply, the mischievous sparkle in her eye unmistakable.

"Is it possible that the lady knight is thinking of reliving those days?"

"I bet I can finish my side of the fortress before you," she challenged.

This led to a mad rush for books. Within a matter of minutes they had a blockade formed. Jane had indeed finished first. Jester insisted she won only by knocking over several of his books when his back had been turned, but then again, perhaps it had been his own large feet. The two friends spent the next several hours enjoying one another's company, reading Jane's book aloud, talking about life, and laughing. Lunch came and went, but neither took any notice.

After finishing the final page of the story, Jane turned to her friend. All her earlier playfulness had dropped away.

"Jester, do you ever wish you could go back to when we were little?"

He pondered the question a moment or two, wondering what had prompted it. "Do you?" He finally responded.

"Sometimes. Life was so much simpler then." She paused.

Jester knew there had to be more than that. "What is bothering you, Jane?"

The squire took a deep breath and resumed speaking, purposefully avoiding her friend's concerned gaze. "This morning Mother was complaining about how unlady-like I am becoming. Then Gunther beat me rather soundly at staves. I was distracted… and I have not been practicing my footwork as I ought.

"I was relieved to finally go to my lessons. I always outshine Gunther in that area. But today, I found I had read the wrong section of our weaponry book and after several incorrect answers Sir Theodore …" She had to stop to swallow back the lump that had been building. "He said he was disappointed in me and sent me off to do more studying…" She trailed off, eyes on the ground, her face the very image of defeat. "Today, I feel like a complete failure."

"Jane," the boy started quietly, ducking his head to try and catch her eyes with his own. "You work harder to become a knight then any squire I have ever seen. As for your footwork… it rivals even my own masterful skills." A hidden smile crinkled the corners of her mouth as her head tilted up slightly to meet his gaze. "You can run rings around Gunther. You know that. As for Sir Theodore, he only wants to see you do your best. You are going to be a great knight someday… I know it." With the last few words his voice grew quiet, his gaze distant.

"Jester," she laid a hand on his arm, immediately drawing his full attention. "Thank you."

Jester's eyes grew soft. "Any time, fair knight…"

Jane began to pull her hand away just as the minstrel moved to cover it with his own, but before either got very far Jester felt a small, sharp sting in the back.

"Ow! Whatever was that?" He reached around his shoulder to rub the offending spot. The squire's head whipped around, immediately scanning the area. Sir Ivon would have been proud Jester thought with a grin.

"Your highness," she called, "Was it not just last night that your father spoke with you about the sling-shot?"

A sigh was heard from behind the bookcase. "Yes," the prince answered grudgingly as he stepped into sight. "The Lady in Waiting sent me to finish my tutoring with Jester. I was _only_ trying to get his attention."

The innocent face Cuthbert pasted on did nothing to hide his true intentions from the two friends. His words however, caused Jane to immediately jump to her feet, scattering books left and right. Her head swung towards the window.

"Oh no! How long have we been here? It must be well into the afternoon by now. I hope I am not late for my archery lesson." Running to the end of the aisle, she turned back only long enough to say, "Sorry Jester, could you put the books away for me?"

The blue-clad boy chuckled to himself and nodded his head as Jane sprinted towards the door. She did not need to wait for a response. For her, his answer was always yes.

It had taken the prince and his tutor the rest of the day, but finally Cuthbert could write his first name without any help. Jester felt quite pleased with the accomplishment, but was disappointed that it meant he would be late to dinner. So the minstrel was rather surprised to find the seat across from Jane had been left open. For a moment he wondered if the others had discovered what he was up to, but as the court fool drew nearer he spotted Jane's practice sword lying on the table, reserving his place.

As they ate, Jester pondered the many benefits to sitting across from his best friend. It afforded the perfect position to view her every change of countenance, enabling them to share in several private jokes without ever uttering a word. Then when their feet would happen to bump under the table, Jane would give him a look he could not quite describe, but always made his heart jump. Jester felt the best part, though, was that he had more opportunity to monopolize Jane's attention. He was soon tuning out all the others in an effort to better hear her. Towards the end of the evening meal the two friends became so engrossed in their conversation that they sat talking for several hours even after all the others had left for bed. When Jane could no longer hold back her yawns they decided to turn in for the night.

As Jester drifted towards his room, the contented smile on his face slowly weakened as he attempted to ignore the worry that had suddenly wormed its way into the back of his mind.

* * *

**End Note: I'll admit, this is somewhat of a filler chapter... more character development then plot development, but don't give up on this story yet. The plot begins to thicken next chapter... **

**Oh, and I just loved trying to fit in some of the many different ways best friends communicate with each other.  
**


	4. Sweet Talkin'

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**(Update 3/30/11) I was never quite satisfied with Jane's conversation with Dragon in this chapter. Then the fabulous Raven Zero reminded me that Jester gave her that first set of armour. Thank you, my friend, for that one little nugget helped everything else fall right into place. :)**

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Chapter 4 – Sweet Talkin'

The morning of day three, Jester woke late. Sleep had not come easily the night before. He had tried everything he could think of…quietly sung himself a lullaby, gotten a drink of water, and counted sheep until he reached a hundred and two. Nothing helped. No matter how he tried to lay still and relax, that little doubt kept gnawing at his mind.

Jane had begun to act differently, but was she really beginning to like-like him or was it just the potion? What would happen when the little red bottle ran out? He _needed_ to speak with the wizard again. That was the only way he could know for certain. Round and round, worried thoughts continued to circle through his mind. Only after determining to pay the older man a visit first thing in the morning, had Jester finally been able to fall asleep.

Rubbing the late morning sun out of his eyes groggily, the minstrel grabbed the potion and instruction book off his desk, stuffed them deep into his pockets, and marched off towards the wizard's turret. He pounded on the thick oak door several times, with no response, and the darkened windows showed no indication of life. Dejectedly, the boy turned and leaned back against the cold stone wall. Heaving a sigh, Jester did his best to push his worries to the back corner of his mind. After all, he reasoned, what harm could it do to keep using the potion a few more days… just until he got to speak with the wizard. Slipping a hand into his pocket, the minstrel pulled out the instructions and flipped to the next page.

_Day Three: Compliments, like sweets, can go a long way towards winning someone's affection. Too many too often, though, can make one sick. Try to compliment your dear one's character, not just appearance or accomplishments._

As Jester returned the booklet to his room, the familiar sound of wood on metal drifted through his open window. Peeking out, the boy's suspicions were confirmed. His favorite squire was out in the yard, hacking away at the practice dummy. He deftly shut the window's shutters and headed into the practice arena. The red-head had her back to him, swinging away with all her might. Leaning against the stone archway in what he hoped would appear a suave manner, the court fool watched her. It was like a dance, all those smooth, well-timed motions. He could not stay quiet for long.

"Well struck, Jane!" he called out after a particularly strong blow.

She turned at the sound to flash a smile in Jester's direction, then spun back just in time to duck under the wooden sword flying towards her head.

"Keep count for me!" she yelled back towards him.

"Alright!" _Clang_. "one…" _Thud_. "two…" _Thump_. "three…" _Twang_. "fourteen…" _Crack_. "twenty-five…" _Whack_. "fifty-six…"

"Hey!" Jane wheeled about, laughing so hard she snorted. "That is not fair. Now I am completely off count."

"What?" The boy did his best to present an innocent face, but a guilty smirk kept breaking through. Jane punched him lightly on the arm. He immediately flinched and rubbed at the spot with his other hand.

The squire rolled her eyes and wiped her brow. "I am parched. Come on."

The pair headed to the kitchen in a slow companionable silence. The squire cast a sideways glance at her friend then spoke quietly. "You did not come to breakfast today."

"No. I…" He hesitated, briefly wondering if he should just tell Jane about the potion. Then they rounded a corner to see that Pepper had already set out the mugs and water jug for the midday meal. The boy immediately glanced up at the sun. "…I did not realize how late it had become," he mumbled mostly to himself.

All thoughts of telling Jane were completely forgotten as Jester peeked in the kitchen window, desperately trying to think of a plan. The day was nearly half gone and he had yet to slip her a drop of the wizard's concoction. From below, Rake's quiet voice was followed by Pepper's high pitched laughter, but the minstrel was not really listening.

"I poured you a cup as well," Jane called from the picnic table.

He turned and smiled his thanks, but as he reached for the glass she offered it slipped out of his hands and fell to the ground below… just as he intended. With a hurried apology, he picked it up and in one fluid motion the glass was refilled with water and a drip of potion. Jane attempted to start a conversation, but Jester held up a hand to stop her.

"I believe I hear the princess calling your name, Jane." He leaned sideways in an effort to get a better view of the steps to the royal gardens. The squire turned around, following his gaze.

_Clink. Clank._ This was becoming much too easy.

Perhaps if he had not been so busy inwardly congratulating himself the minstrel would have noticed the sly look on his companion's face when she first turned around.

"Hmm… I thought I heard something too. Maybe that is her up in the window. Jester, can you see?"

Eyes wide, he swiftly turned towards the upper walkway, afraid he had been caught in the act.

_Clink. Clank._

A mischievous smile played at the corners of his mouth as Jester turned back around to face an innocent looking Jane.

"I do not see anyone."

"Really? It must have been a trick of the light then. I was certain I saw someone." She managed to keep a straight face, but only by staring down at her glass.

Jester smiled to himself. Jane was smart. One of the many things he loved about her, but his reputation as a trickster was now at stake. Raising a hand in greeting, he called loudly, "Good day, Smithy!"

Jane twisted around to add her welcome…to an empty courtyard.

_Clink. Clank._

Jester picked up and set down the cups, **without** switching them, leaving the potion in front of himself. Knowing his friend's competitive nature, it would not be staying there long. Jane swung around quickly, almost catching him. Her eyes flashed in challenge.

"Hullo, Pepper!" the squire called, "You need any help with lunch?"

Jester turned towards the kitchen door slowly, a devious smirk emerging once he heard the familiar _clink_, _clank_ from behind that told him Jane had indeed switched the cups again. Suddenly Pepper appeared at the kitchen entrance, startling both friends.

"Jane, did you call?"

"Oh! Ah…yes. I …I wondered if you needed any help."

The cook shook her head. "No. Thank you, Petal. Lunch should be ready soon. The soup just needs to simmer a little longer."

As Jester swung around to face Jane, the squire raised her glass with a victorious smile. Hiding a grin of his own, the blue-clad boy took a sip and watched as she made a face at the strange taste in her cup.

"You were fantastic this morning, Jane," he spoke up quickly, distracting her. "Those jabs and parries were brilliant! That dummy will be nursing wounds for days to come."

She laughed lightly. "Thank you. I think your encouragement yesterday made all the difference. You know, I beat Gunther at archery practice yesterday afternoon."

"Did you? Congratulations. I am sorry I missed that, but not at all surprised. Gunther may be strong, but he lacks many other qualities that you have in abundance."

"Oh… such as?" One eyebrow arched expectantly.

"Well… your wit… your agility…your determination…your …beauty…"

Jane's head flew up, eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar. Jester had to resist the urge to duck his head to hide his reddening ears and instead met her shocked gaze straight on, his own face a mixture of uncertainty and hope. The squire swallowed and blinked. Her lips began to move silently, but no response came forth. Then with a sudden downward gust of wind, Dragon landed in the garden behind them, breaking their locked gaze.

"Time to patrol!" Jane yelled perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. She jumped from her seat and ran to her scaly friend, hoping on his neck in one smooth motion.

"What about lunch?" Jester stood and stepped out from behind the table.

She stared at the top of Dragon's head, refusing to make eye contact. "I will just grab a couple apples. Come on, Dragon. Time to go."

With that, she was gone. The court fool stood and watched until they were nothing but a little green dot against the sky. A sad frown stole across his face as the boy headed towards his room to double check the day's instructions. Perhaps he had done something wrong.

Dragon's wings flapped lazily in the breeze as they made their way towards his mountain home.

"Not that I am complaining about spending extra time together, but why exactly did we leave to patrol an hour early?"

"Well… um… "

"Was it Gunther? Next time I see that – "

"No, Dragon! It has nothing to do with Gunther."

"What then?"

"You will only tease me about it."

"ME? Tease you? Never!"

Jane rolled her eyes. "_Right_."

"Come ooooon, Jane. Tell me, pleeeease!" The great beast whined as they landed with a thud on the ledge outside his cave. Jane hopped down and moved to face him.

"Do I have your oath that you will not laugh?"

A large green claw immediately rose towards the ceiling. "Dragon's honor."

Closing her eyes, the squire took a deep breath and tried to come up with a good way to begin. "Dragon, have you noticed Jester acting funny lately?"

"Floppy hat? I thought that was his job."

"No, no. Funny as in differently. He has been …sitting near me all the time… giving me funny looks. He made up some secret new game with our cups. I think I won today, but then again… he never explained the rules. Then, right before you showed up he … he called me beautiful!"

Dragon raised a scaly eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"Jingle boy has called you pretty before. Why should that bother you? You know, _you_ have been acting awful strange of late as well…" Dragon's eyes suddenly brightened in realization. "I bet I know what it is! You like him, and not like blueberries. You _like-like_ him."

"What? I do not. I mean I like Jester. We have been friends for almost as long as I can remember, but me like-liking him? That…" Jane's voice grew quiet. "…that could not be it. Could it? I know he cares for me a great deal, but the way he has been acting recently is different. More purposeful I suppose. It makes me feel …special."

Dragon snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Butterflies in your tummy, weak at the knees. Jester sings about all that stuff in his ballads. It seems rather silly to me, though. No matter how much you like someone, why would you ever want to eat an insect?"

"No, it is nothing like that. I do care for Jester, but I…I do not know. He is a wonderful friend and the cleverest person I have ever met. He would stick by me no matter what… and always knows how to cheer me up. Why, he knows me so well he can practically read my mind…"

"This one time Jester and I -" Dragon's eyes slipped closed, only half-listening as Jane continued to recall stories involving master floppy hat for the next quarter hour.

Jane smiled fondly as she finished the tale of when they had both been young and Jester had gone to the trouble of fixing her favorite toy after it had been accidentally smashed. She had been so excited that she hardly noticed that the toy was missing a few pieces. Even after she had outgrown such toys, Jane had kept it, tucked away safely at the bottom of her trunk.

"He is so good to me…" the squire trailed off, her head tilted down thoughtfully. "Do you… do you suppose he really meant that 'beautiful' comment? It could have just been a joke." Her eyes grew darkened and sad. "Yet he seemed so sincere… and the look on his face… What do you think?"

The red-head turned to face the green lump that had been unusually quiet these past several minutes. Dragon opened a droopy eyelid at her.

"Hmm? I am sorry. Were you saying something?" She scowled at him. "Oh alright. I think that all this like-like stuff is getting boring. You just keep going on and on about blue boy. We should discuss something more interesting… like me!" Jane rolled her eyes, but Dragon took no notice. "On my way to the castle this morning I did a five twisted backward double loop! Oh Jane, you should have seen it! I was absolutely brilliant!"

The squire merely shook her head good-naturedly. "I am sure it was brilliant."

"You know, Dragon, if it were not for Jester, you and I might never have met. He was the first one to support me in becoming a knight. When everyone else laughed at my dream, he believed in me. He even gave me my first suit of armor."

"You mean that scrap metal I almost destroyed the day we met?"

"It is not scrap metal! It is just old… and very special." She smiled to herself, then looked up at Dragon. "Without Jester's 'scrap metal', we would never have become friends."

Dragon lowered his head to look her in the eye. "Defending him, are we? You must _really_ like him."

"You promised not to tease," she glared at him.

"No, I promised not to _laugh_."

Jane humphed in defeat.

"So…" he winked slyly, "Has bell boy started bringing you flowers yet?" with a snort the beast drew himself up to his full height and laughed uproariously. Jane's eyes opened wide in disbelief. "I – ha ha ha – I am sorry Jane. I just could not hold it in any longer."

She shook her head knowingly, a smile slowly breaking through. Then in sudden remebrance she tilted her head towards her large friend and asked, "Dragon, can you smell the castle rose bushes from here?"

"Of course," he grinned. "My sense of scent is unparalleled. Why?"

"I have been smelling roses when no one else can and I do not know why."

"You can smell them from here?"

"No, no. It mostly happens at meal time."

"Maybe my abilities are rubbing off on you." The two chuckled at the absurd idea.

"Maybe," she winked at him. "Come on. We should finish our patrol before my sparing practice."

oOo

Jester sat on the low stone bench of the royal gardens watching as princess Lavinia twirled around the fountain. Suddenly she stopped and sped past him.

"Jane!" She cried, grabbing the squire's knees in a fierce hug. "Jester has been teaching me to count. I can get all the way to twenty- eleven all by myself!" She said proudly.

"Thirty-one, your highness," called her tutor, but she continued on heedless.

"Jane, you must come on my picnic. Mother said I could go as long as one of the knights came with me."

The squire knelt down to better see the girl's face. "Of course I will come, little highness. What day is your picnic to be?"

"In just three days." The girl clapped her hands joyfully and spun in a circle. "I am so excited, Jane. You, me, and Jester. This will be the most perfectest picnic ever!"

The squire looked up and met the court fool's gaze. He offered an uncertain smile and nodded slightly.

"Princess Lavinia," the Lady-in-Waiting's voice rang out across the garden, "Time to wash up for dinner."

As the princess ran off, Jane stood and faced her friend. She asked where the princess had gotten the idea for this picnic and Jester hurriedly assured her that the Queen had suggested it as a reward. If Lavinia learned to count to one hundred she could go on a picnic and invite whoever she desired, as long as a knight accompanied them.

"She can reach twenty- nine without any help already. I am sure that with a little more practice she will get the rest." He grinned pleasantly.

Jane returned his smile. "With your tutoring, Jester, I am _certain_ she will reach her goal." The squire's eyes trailed off to the great hall where the royal family was probably just sitting down to some of Pepper's fine cooking. "A picnic will make a fine prize. Dragon could come too, and then I could take the princess on a ride. She would love that."

She turned back just in time to see the crestfallen expression on her friend's face before he hid it behind a false grin. "I bet she would."

Jane looked down and bit her lip. The tip of her shoe dug into the cracks between the stones.

"Jester… about what happened earlier, at lunchtime – "

The rattle of the wheelbarrow cut her off as Rake came by with a pile of weeds. "Time for supper, you two," he called out obliviously. Jane let out a small sigh as they turned to follow, but whether she was more relieved or upset, Jester could not tell.

Dinner that night was filled with laughter and good conversation. It had become almost second nature for the two friends to sit across from each other and so neither took any notice that their spots had been left open for them.

When Jane rose to return to her room, Jester was quick to join her. The silence between them hung thick with unsaid words. The minstrel's earlier doubts had returned in full force. He ought to tell her about the potion. Now was the perfect time, too. No one was around to hear her angry replies or, ultimately, her refusal of him. Dragging up every last bit of courage he could muster, Jester drew a deep breath.

"Jester," Jane spoke suddenly, cutting him off, "About what happened at lunch time…I am sorry for running off like I did."

"No problem," He flashed a smile at her, but it did not reach his eyes. "You had to patrol."

Jane's voice grew quiet. "Did you really mean all those things you said about me?"

The uncertainty in her eyes made his heart melt. "Of course," he answered sincerely.

A slight smile danced across her lips. "Thank you."

They had reached her door and Jester was just turning to walk back the way he had come, when she whispered, "You really _do_ say the sweetest things sometimes." He whirled around, but the door was already closed. Jester was never quite sure how he reached his room that night, but he was certain that his feet never hit the ground.

* * *

**End Note: It took me longer than normal to finish. So to make up for it, this chapter is extra long. For now the conflict is all internal, but that'll change a little next chapter.**

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews!**

**(Update 2/1/10) I guess the cup switching scene was not as clear as I had thought so it has been updated. Let me know if you're still left unsure about whether or not Jane drank the potion.  
**


	5. Suspicion

Chapter 5 – Suspicion

Gunther walked purposefully down the corridor to the knights' quarters. Jane had beaten him at their last few matches and he was determined not to loose again. Glancing out the windows that lined his walk, the boy spotted his rival seated alone at the table below. Suddenly a voice yelled out her name, sending her scurrying towards the practice yard… a voice that sounded very much like Sir Ivon. Gunther's brow wrinkled as he gazed down the hallway behind him where, only a moment ago, he had passed the Scottish knight headed in the _opposite_ direction. Understanding dawned as he turned back towards the garden and found the court fool standing where the red-head had been only moments before, setting down a freshly-poured cup of milk on the nearby table. Jester's uncanny ability to sound just like different members of the court was well known throughout the castle, though he rarely impersonated Sir Ivon. Something to do with a duel of wit or some such nonsense, Gunther had never really gotten the whole story from his mentor.

Down below, the fool looked abnormally jumpy. His gaze kept swinging back and forth from the kitchen door to the entrance to the practice yard. A loud crash sounded and the fool's eyes shot to the kitchen window. He waited a few silent, tense moments. Certain that no one was headed his way; he filled a second glass with milk. The bells on his hat rattled softly as the fool made one last scan of all the possible entries, then his hand moved to his pocket. Gunther jerked in surprise when the jester pulled out a suspicious looking vial and added its contents to the cup in his hand. Dark eyes promptly widened in realization, then narrowed in anger.

"The cheater!" Gunther muttered, "No wonder Jane keeps winning,"

As though summoned by his thoughts, the female squire made a sudden reappearance. Her rival ducked out of sight before she had a chance to notice him in the walkway above, but Jester was not as fortunate. The startled minstrel hastened to hide the small red vial but unknowingly missed his pocket. The bottle bounced slightly in the dirt and rolled to a hidden corner of the garden. With a calculating smirk Gunther marked its location carefully and snuck back into the castle.

"She will not have an unfair advantage for much longer…" the squire whispered to himself.

"Good morrow, Jester." Jane's voice sounded cheery enough, but her tone held an underlying hint of suspicion. "Have you seen Sir Ivon? I thought I heard him calling, but he was not in the practice yard or the stables."

"I have not seen him this morning," answered the minstrel honestly. "Why not sit here?" He motioned to the seat nearest her. "I can sit opposite and be your lookout."

Jane's eyes narrowed. "Thank you, but I think it best if I keep watch myself." She then slid into the seat across from the one he had offered.

"As you wish, milady." Jester's sweeping bow earned only a raised eyebrow from the squire. He slumped into the seat across from her with a sigh. "Alright, you caught me. I ought to know better then to try and trick you. You catch on much too quickly." Jane's eyes glowed in satisfaction and a small grin crinkled her lips, breaking the tension between them.

The minstrel smiled back at her and began brightly, "So what are your plans for the –"

"What in the kingdom could that be?" Jane cried unexpectedly, rising nearly out of her seat.

Jester turned swiftly. "What? Where?"

_Clink. Clank._

He swung back around to find the red-head with a cup already raised to her lips. Doing her best to suppress a triumphant grin, she murmured, "That is funny. I was sure I saw something."

"Perhaps it was a shadow," he offered, a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

Jester then lifted his own mug. As he took a sip, the trickster smiled. There it was – that faint scent of roses. Perhaps it had been a slight waste, but he was grateful now that he had chosen to slip the potion into both cups this morning. The minstrel briefly wondered what effect it might have on him, but almost immediately that thought was cut short by a loud shout.

"Jane! Time for jousting practice," called a voice in a thick Scottish brogue.

The female squire shot her friend a slightly confused look before jumping up, "Coming, Sir Ivon! Sorry Jester. I am afraid you will eat alone this morning."

"I only had a little time anyway. The princess wants to start working on her numbers right away. Until lunch, then?"

Bright red curls bounced in agreement. Jester made a show of grabbing a thick slice of bread and heading for the castle, but once his friend was out of sight he changed directions. He would see the princess in a moment, but first to the wizard's tower.

The moment both young people had left, another head popped out the kitchen door, tip-toed to the far corner of the garden and slipped a forgotten red bottle into his pocket.

oOo

"…and that is why the battering ram is an effective weapon in breaking down the outer defenses of a fortress."

Jane's gaze slowly slipped away from her mentor's face to the window just above his left shoulder. Sir Theodore's mouth flickered downward in disappointment. Gunther's attention was difficult to maintain, the old knight had known that for some time now, but Jane normally soaked in every word like a sponge.

"Jane," he called pointedly. "What are some possible methods to defend against a battering ram?"

Green eyes blinked rapidly then snapped back to her teacher's face. "Battering ram, Sir Theodore?"

His voice grew quiet and stern. "Yes, Jane. You must try to maintain your concentration. Many an important battle has been lost by lack of focus."

"Sorry, Sir."

Giving a curt nod, the knight captain resumed teaching the day's lesson. Jane's eyes remained glued on him, nodding at the parts she understood, asking questions at the parts she did not. All went well until a wordless little tune wafted faintly in through the open window. Theodore watched as his pupil's countenance slowly glazed over, a slight smile hidden at the corner of her mouth.

"Jane," the rumbly voice drew her swiftly back to reality. "I would like you to finish this lesson by researching different battles where battering rams were used. I want to know in what situations they were most effective and what worked well in defending against them."

"Yes, Sir Theodore," she responded guiltily before making a hasty exit.

The old knight shook his head at her retreating form. He knew that dazed expression all too well. Every squire that had ever served under him went through the same thing at some point in time. Theodore had given counsel to many a knight-in-training over the years, but he had to admit, with a girl, he was not really certain what to expect.

Quiet humming surrounded the minstrel as he wandered through the garden. He checked everywhere: among the cabbages, under the wheelbarrow, even behind small pots of herbs. His soft melody ended in a sigh. This would be the second disappointment of the day. The wizard remained absent, and now the potion had disappeared as well. He was beginning to give up hope of finding it. Nodding glumly to himself, Jester decided that if this was the last day of the potion he best follow the directions as completely as possible.

"_Day Four: Go out of your way to help your loved one with a task,"_ the book had said, but what task? Jester had once offered to be Jane's practice dummy, but that had only been a joke. He would be of little help in archery practice or sparing practice or anything weapon related, really. Perhaps there was some chore he could do for her like sweep out the stables or polish the weapons or _something_. Of course, finding a task where he could be of help was only half the trouble. Jane was a stubborn girl. It was going to be difficult to get her to allow him to help with anything, no matter how small the task.

Discouraged, the court fool decided to do one more search of the garden. That bottle had to be somewhere. It could not have grown legs and run off on its own. Then again, it was the _wizard's_ potion bottle…

"What are you doing?

Startled, the fool lost his balance while peeking beneath a row of plants and fell clumsily into the dirt. "Oh! Me? I was just… searching for the lyrics for my song."

One of Jane's eyebrows arched, "Under the turnip leaves?"

He shrugged. "One never knows where inspiration will strike."

Jane rolled her eyes good-naturedly, grinning all the while. Reaching out a hand, she pulled him upright and was suddenly confronted with two grey eyes so close she could see the flecks of brown in their depths. She took a quick step back and looked away, a faint pink spreading across her cheeks.

"I…I best hurry along."

"What do you mean, Jane? Pepper assures me that lunch should be ready any moment."

The squire answered quietly, suddenly very interested in a speck on her shoe. "I will not be joining you for lunch today, Jester."

The confusion on his face was clear. "Why not?"

"Old Metal Legs insists she do some research." Dragon interjected as he landed on the wall behind them. "She will be stuck in the knights' quarters all afternoon going through dusty old books when she could be out patrolling the open air with me!"

"Listening in on my lessons again, are we?" Jane planted her hands on her hips and was about to launch into a lecture on eavesdropping when Jester suddenly interrupted.

"Perfect!"

Jane turned and gave him a confused look.

"I mean… um… let me help you. Working together we can get the job done twice as fast. The princess is taking a break this afternoon. She can already count to sixty by herself." Turning his head to the side, the boy mumbled, "I only wish her brother was as quick learning his letters."

"Oh! Oh!" Dragon cried in excitement, "Then you and I could still have some time before dinner to patrol!"

"Champion!" Jane nodded enthusiastically then moved towards the kitchen door, Jester following close behind.

oOo

Outside the castle's back gate Gunther knelt in the dirt, carefully pouring the clear liquid from Jester's little bottle into a cup. He had briefly considered just swallowing the contents down, but his father had taught him early on to never drink a potion when you did not know its effects. His task completed, the knight-in-training snuck back into the royal gardens. Scanning the area for any prying eyes, he swiftly refilled the vial with water from the fountain and stuffed it deep into one of his pockets. Now he just needed to find a hiding spot for the cup and a plan to discover what the potion could do.

oOo

Jane carried the last book down from Sir Theodore's study and laid it atop her pile at the bottom of the steps. Jester's own pile sat just as high on the opposite side of the stairs.

"So, fair knight," he asked, "What is it we are searching for?"

"Let me show you." She pulled a well worn book from her pile and opened it to a page that contained several sketches. "I was learning about battering rams."

Jester was forced to stand close beside the squire to get a proper view of the page. If the fact that their arms were touching kept him from really reading more than a few lines, he chose to not let it show. Her hands shook slightly under the weight of the volume and the minstrel immediately reached out to help steady it. Jester's breath caught in his throat when his hand landed not on the leather spine of the book, but atop the hand of the girl beside him. Jane's description of the appearance and uses of battering rams faltered mid-sentence. Tilting her head slightly she glanced sideways to find two bright grey eyes staring hopefully at her. Immediately turning back to the book, the red-head jumped back in to her explanation, speaking at twice her original speed. She was saying something about skimming through the other books and how she would take notes on a spare piece of parchment, but the jester barely heard. All he could think of was the fact that her hand had not moved from underneath his.

Several hours later, they sat side by side on the bottom step. Jane had finished with three books while Jester's pile was only two volumes shorter. He had been somewhat preoccupied with gradually inching his way closer to her. Whenever he got the opportunity, the minstrel had been sneaking glances in her direction and scooting further down the step. He was not certain, but the fool thought he had caught her smiling at her book in response a time or two.

Observant as he was, the boy had been so focused on his own actions he failed to notice that she too had been working to close the gap between them. In training with Sir Ivon, she had learned how to keep her movements silent and stealthy. Each time the squire went to lay down or pick up a book from her pile, she had slowly shifted closer to the minstrel. When Jane realized he was doing the same, she had to fight back the smile that sprang to her lips.

Jester made one last shift to the right when she went to turn a page. Then he raised his book, lightly brushing the back of her hand with his knuckles. She had been pretending not to notice him, but the minstrel knew better. He watched closely out of the corner of his eye for her reaction and was rewarded with a definite smile and the beginnings of a blush which the red-head quickly hid behind her book.

The pair searched through the remaining volumes slowly. By the time they were finished Jane's parchment was completely filled with notes. While they worked the squire had occasionally peeked over at him. Each time, Jester would meet her gaze and they would share in a small grin.

After finally returning all the books to Sir Theodore's quarters it was nearly time for the evening meal. So the two friends headed for the stairs to the lower level. They were walking close together, close enough that their hands would brush from time to time, but neither moved to step farther away.

"Thank you for helping me today," the red-head said quietly. "After all the time you have spent working with the prince and princess, I am sure you could have used a break."

He smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Anytime, fair knight. Helping you is always more enjoyment than it is work." She ducked her head and grinned at his words.

After a few steps, Jane stopped and turned towards him. "Jester… can I ask you something?" Her voice sounded serious, which filled him at once with both hope and panic.

"I …" she paused briefly, as if deciding what to say, "I keep smelling roses, but only sometimes. Why do you think that is?" Jester breathed deeply, trying to calm his racing heart as she continued. "I know it is a silly thing to ask, but it has been pestering me for some time now."

"Perhaps the way the wind blows brings their scent to you."

Jane turned and walked pensively for a few steps. "Perhaps, but then why am I the only one to smell them?"

"Maybe that huge lizard's sense of smell is rubbing off on you." He winked at her teasingly. She responded with a light smile and a slight shove on his shoulder.

It was a lie. Jester knew it and already he felt bad. His earlier doubts had broken free and were again assaulting his mind. It had been the perfect opportunity and he had buckled. He should tell her about the potion. He knew he should tell her… but he was so worried about how she would react. No, Jester told himself firmly. He needed to just tell her…whatever the consequences.

Jane pushed open the stable doors and they stepped into the practice yard to find Gunther in the process of removing several arrows from a straw target. The minstrel frowned. He could not reveal his secret to Jane in front of Gunther. He might be able to face Jane's anger, but he would not willingly give Gunther something to tease him about. Maybe he could steer her towards the royal garden or even back into the stable.

"There you two are." Gunther sneered.

There was no hope of getting Jane back into the stable now, Jester thought glumly. Whether they spared with swords, staves, or only words, she never backed down from a confrontation with Gunther.

The dark-haired squire spun an arrow in his hands. His chin tilted up. "I know your secret." Jester's eyes grew wide in panic. Jane just shot her rival a confused look.

"What do you mean? What secret?"

"_This_ look familiar?" He pulled a small red bottle from his pocket and held it up in the air.

Jester thought he would faint. Beside him, Jane just shook her head.

"Clown boy over there has been sneaking this potion into your drink. I saw him do so just this morning. I think there must be something in it that gives you some kind of advantage. How else could you have bested me these past few days?"

"Gunther, I am surprised. Does losing to me really bother you so much that you feel the need to make up some wild story?"

"Come on, Jane. I am clearly much stronger and better suited to be a knight then you could ever hope to be. Do you really think you could defeat me all on your own? If you do not believe me, let the fool deny it himself."

Jane turned towards her friend, a bewildered look across her face. When he gave no response, her face flickered with hurt then turned to steel. "How could you? You know how much beating Gunther meant to me. I do not let Dragon help me even when I _know_ I will lose. If I cannot win on my own, I would rather not win at all." She turned and was about to walk away when she was stopped by a hand on her wrist.

"No Jane, that is not what it is for, I swear."

"Then what?"

"Th-the potion is…" The fool's eyes shot back and forth between the two squires. "ah… a remedy. The wizard is afraid… that your sudden ability to smell the roses from so far away is a sign of an illness you have may have caught from Dragon. He is the only other one with similar symptoms. The wizard believes that Dragon might be making you sick."

"Why not tell me himself?" Her eyebrow arched skeptically.

"The wizard was …worried about Dragon's response. You know he always overreacts. Remember the day you fell from his back. He would not let you leave his sight for a moment."

Jane nodded in agreement at the memory. "True. But if Dragon is making me sick, why not order me to stay away from him for a few days?" her face full of suspicion.

"Because… the potion is strong enough to cure the malady … and allow you to stay with Dragon at the same time. It was easiest for everyone involved if I slipped you the potion, no needless worry or hurt feelings…"

"That is silly!" The redhead pulled her wrist out of his grasp forcefully and crossed her arms over her chest. "Jester, I cannot believe you would deceive me like this! Why did you not just tell me?"

Jane was holding in her anger fairly well, but it was hovering just below the surface. Jester knew he needed to pick his words carefully. The right ones might sooth her temper, but the wrong ones…

"I was uncertain how you would react."

Jane's eyebrows drew together as she blinked back her hurt. Jester knew he had chosen wrong.

"You did not know how I would react?" Anger flashed in her eyes and snapped in her voice. "Jester, you know me better than anyone… or at least I _thought_ you did. I could have kept it a secret from Dragon. If I am sick, do not _I_ deserve to know? How could you not _trust_ me enough to tell me?" She turned on her heels and marched away from him.

Gunther stopped her briefly. "Here. I guess you might need this." She snatched the bottle from his outstretched hand roughly.

"Hey Jane!" cried an oblivious Dragon as he landed in the yard beside them. He had spent the afternoon out in his favorite field listening to the cows and knew nothing of what had just transpired.

The red-head looked up and drew her lips together tightly. Her hands clenched at her sides as she blinked desperately. "Not now, Dragon," Jane yelled as she rushed past him.

Dragon watched her go then his eyes turned angrily on the two boys left in the yard. "What did you do?" he growled.

"Ask him," a wide-eyed Gunther pointed hastily at Jester and began to inch his way toward the stables.

Dragon fixed his gaze on the young fool. SLAM! The sound of Jane's door being yanked shut drew the great beast's attention away.

"I will deal with you later, shortlife," he said menacingly before flapping off to poke his head in at Jane's window.

Left standing alone in the yard, Jester hung his head. "Champion, Jester, you have lied to her… again."


	6. Repercussions

**Author's note: What's this? A new chapter – no way! **

**I am terribly sorry for the loooooong wait. **

**Let me make a quick suggestion before you plunge right in… please go reread at least the end of the last chapter again. I'm afraid the beginning of this chapter might not make sense otherwise. They were meant to flow together (despite the two month … make that four month delay).**

* * *

Chapter 6 – Repercussions

Clunk. Gunther closed the stable doors as quietly as he could and breathed a sigh of relief. For tonight at least, he was safe from the great beast's fiery breath. The jester's idiocy had nearly gotten them both fried.

"That fool thinks he is so clever. Wait till he discovers that Jane's bottle is filled with plain old water and not his precious potion." He smirked, imagining the jester's surprise.

Gunther had been quick to realize that the clown was lying. With the wily merchant for a father, the squire had from a young age become a master at recognizing deceptions and at times assisting in their execution. Avoiding eye contact, stuttering, delayed responses - the jester had shown all the signs. The potion could be anything, but it was certainly _not_ a remedy for some made-up disease that made one smell roses from long distances.

After glancing about the stable for any prying eyes, Gunther knelt down next to a large pile of hay and gingerly brushed it away, revealing an overturned bucket. Lifting it, the knight-in-training gave a low growl. The cup into which he had poured the potion, the cup which he had hidden so carefully, was knocked over. The liquid had soaked into the ground below, no longer of use to anyone.

oOo

Early the next morning an uncertain Jester crept towards Jane's tower room. Before getting more than halfway up the steps, though, the boy was stopped in his tracks.

"WHAT did you do?" fumed Dragon.

The minstrel hung his head.

"She refuses to tell me _anything_," bewailed the anxious beast. "When I tried to talk to her last night, she slammed the window shut on me. Tell me what you did!"

The minstrel answered in an ashamed whisper, "I… deceived her."

"Deceived, huh?" Dragon paused. His eyes widened. "Wait – you _**lied**_ to her? You LIED to HER? YOU LIED TO HER?" With each reiteration his voice grew in intensity and volume.

"Yes, Dragon." Jester's quiet voice a vast contrast to the beast's great shouts. "I did."

The boy let out a long, low breath. "Just … just let me talk to her… please? I have to try and make things right."

Dragon humph-ed then lowered his massive head to lock eyes with the miserable boy. The beast had every intention of staring him down, but upon seeing the lad's anguished countenance his gaze softened.

"Please… let me see her?"

At the reptile's nod, Jester made his way to the tower door and knocked lightly.

"Jane?"

Inside, the female squire lifted her head, but upon recognizing the voice frowned and turned her back on the door, arms crossed over her chest.

"Jane? I know you are there. Please let me in."

At her continued silence, the boy rested his forehead against the door.

"You have every right to be upset with me, Jane. I just… I just wanted to say that I am sorry. So very, very sorry. I _never_ should have deceived you."

The jester paused, gathering his courage.

"And… about the potion-"

The thud of firewood landing on a pile interrupted him. Jester turned to spot Gunther in the yard below, watching him closely. The minstrel squeezed his eyes closed and grimaced, pivoting slowly back to the tower door. He sighed.

"Do not take more than one or two drops a day." He paused briefly, hand pressed to the door, face a sorrowful frown, before turning to plod down the steps.

When Jane came down for breakfast some time later, Jester was already seated at the table along with the rest of the castle staff. Grabbing a stool from the corner, she opted to sit at the head of table as far away from the blue clad boy as she could get. She met each face in turn - each face except one. The remorse-filled looks she was receiving from the boy at the far end of the table were pointedly ignored.

"Good morning, Pepper," she called, a false sweetness in her voice.

The cook glanced toward the sad-faced jester then at the empty space across from him before giving her friend a confused look. "Good morning, Jane." She answered quietly.

"Lovely day, aye Smithy?" The squire continued.

The blacksmith's eyebrows drew together as his gaze flickered between the court fool and the red-head. "I … suppose so."

"Rake, your garden looks even greener than usual."

Oblivious to the tension surrounding him, the gardener's chest puffed up with pride.

"Why thank you, Jane."

He went to give his friend a bright grin, but was greeted by the back of her head. Jane had already turned away to pick up an empty cup and the pitcher. She filled her mug then slowly, deliberately pulled the small red bottle from her pocket and poured in two drops. Every eye at the table was glued on her.

"Jane?" Dragon called from his spot on the battlements, eyeing the red vial warily. "What did you just put in your cup?"

"Milk." She answered nonchalantly.

"No, Jane… from the bottle."

"Oh that? Just a potion to help me stop smelling roses everywhere." She turned and, for the first time that day, briefly met Jester's pleading eyes with a cold, almost smug air. Jane downed her drink in three gulps and spun towards the back wall.

Pepper chewed the inside of her cheek. "Jane – " she began hesitantly.

"Sorry, no time – lessons with Sir Theodore."

The moment she was out of sight, Pepper pivoted to face the court fool. "What was _that_ all about?"

"Jeeeester," called a child's sing-song voice, the young princess following close behind. "Jester, come with me. I want to show you how high I can count!"

Her petite hand latched onto his arm and gave a couple swift tugs. Shrugging his shoulders apologetically to his friends, the relieved minstrel stood and followed her little highness into the castle.

oOo

The late morning sun created intricate patterns on the floor of the castle halls as it shone through the windows lining Jester's walk, but the minstrel was too lost in thought to notice its beauty. The princess had progressed rapidly this morning, but her tutor found no satisfaction in it. Jane was still upset and the poor boy could focus on nothing else.

She was _very_ upset. That much was clear from their interactions… or perhaps, more accurately, lack of interaction this morning. She DID take the potion, though. Perhaps following the day's instructions might help smooth things over. At least Jester hoped it would help. He pulled the booklet from his jacket pocket. _Day Five: Do something unexpected that your sweetheart will appreciate._ For the first time that day a hopeful grin stole across his face.

At the entrance to the kitchen, the minstrel quickly ducked below the stair railing and pulled off his hat, laying it carefully at the top of the steps. He had barely managed to dodge Pepper's questions at breakfast this morning. He did not want to chance her hearing his approach now and confront him again about Jane's odd behavior. Creeping to the bottom step, he snuck a peek around the corner.

The cook had her back to him as she chopped vegetables for the evening meal. Beside her, Rake was busy peeling the produce. Jester did not see the shy smile that passed between the two as the tall boy handed the dark-haired maid a freshly peeled potato. He was too preoccupied grabbing the objects on a nearby shelf and escaping unnoticed.

Jane had been sparing with Gunther for the past quarter hour but neither seemed to be able to gain the upper hand. He had landed several good blows, but so had she. The heat of the midday sun was wearing on them both. Jane grimaced as she felt a bead of sweat slide down her back. Gunther used her slight distraction to aim a devastating hit. The female squire barely dodged his strike and had to scramble to regain her feet.

Jester took his time going to the practice yards. The pitcher of water and empty cup would make a good peace offering on such a stuffy day, but he needed the perfect words in order to gain Jane's forgiveness. Eyes glued to the ground, the minstrel's mind worked overtime creating then discarding phrases one after another.

From his position facing the garden gate, Gunther noticed the slow approach of the court fool and immediately formed a plan. He could win the match, embarrass Jane, and get back at the clown all at once.

"Ready to give up yet, dung-dweller?" he sneered.

"Never, you beef-brain," she retorted.

He struck at her with easy blows intended to force her slowly backwards and keep her distracted from the gate until she was in the perfect position. Gunther smirked at his opponent, who was momentarily confused, before forcefully swinging his wooden sword forward.

"Hah!"

Jane leapt backward out of range of her rival's attack. Jester looked up, but too late. She crashed into the fool, water splashed everywhere, and both landed in a heap.

The raven-haired squire burst into laughter holding his stomach with one hand and pointing at her with the other. "Looks like you are all washed up, Jane!" The red-head glared at him.

Still chuckling, Gunther sauntered off. Jester leaned up on his elbow and rubbed the back of his head before turning towards the girl sprawled next to him.

"Bat bladders!" he grumbled under his breath.

"Jane… Jane, I am so sorry. It was hot out, and I thought you might like a glass of water, but then Gunther…" He watched as the female squire sat and pulled at her sopping shirt with a disgusted look. "… and now you are soaking wet. Oh Jane, I just - " The words died in his throat as she shot him a piercing glare.

She stood, splattering the boy with loose droplets as she shook her head and hands before turning on her heels. Jester called after her weakly. Marching up the steps, Jane paused to look back at the downtrodden boy behind her.

"Just – just leave me alone," she spat.

Rising to his feet, the minstrel sighed and pulled off his dripping overcoat then moved to retrieve the fallen cup and pitcher.

oOo

Pepper looked up from her plate and craned her neck towards the archway expectantly. Her forehead creased in concern. The mid-day meal would soon be over and still no sign of them. With a sigh she turned toward the two empty places then to the two boys seated across the table from her.

"I do hope they make up soon," she half whispered. The gardener and the blacksmith quietly nodded their agreement.

oOo

Jester wandered aimlessly down the forest path. Every few steps he tore off a bite from the bread he had swiped while returning the pitcher and cup.

"Jester, what an _idiot_ you have been," the young fool whispered. He looked to the nearest wide oak and addressed it like an old friend. "You have been around a long time. Any ideas how to get Jane to forgive me? Or even to just get her to speak to me again?"

The tree gave no response.

The boy plopped down on a stump and propped his head in his hands. "Yeah, me neither."

He pulled the instruction book from his pocket. "You have not been of much help today either." For a moment he contemplated tossing it away, but the wizard would want it back, he was sure. Instead the boy gingerly reopened it to that day's directions and read aloud. "… something unexpected that… will _appreciate_." Jane's last words replayed painfully through his head. "Well, she certainly did _not_ appreciate being soaked with water. I suppose that if she wants me to leave her alone that is exactly what I will have to do… no matter how difficult it may be."

oOo

"Cut the huffy already, Jane."

They were flying high above the horizon and though he could not see her face, Dragon could sense she was still in a sour mood. Best friends can always tell… plus she had been silent ever since waking him from his nap by charging up the stairs, sopping wet, and demanding they take to the sky.

"Come on, Jane. Or are you upset with me too?"

She sighed. "No, just Jester. He _deceived_ me, Dragon, and then he _embarrassed_ me in front of Gunther."

"Terrible crimes indeed. What would you like me to do, then? Burn him to a crisp? Leave him at the peak of the highest mountain? Drop him down the deepest hole in my cave?"

"Tempting, but…"

"Not harsh enough?"

She giggled lightly. "Nope."

"You know Jane, clown boy looked pretty miserable this morning. Maybe you ought to just forgive him."

She huffed indignantly. "I thought you were on _my_ side Dragon."

"Of course I am. I am _also_ in favor of anything that keeps me from having knee shaped indents on either side of my neck."

"Oh. Sorry." She mumbled, loosening her legs.

They flew silently for a while, until Dragon decided to try again.

"Let me see if I have this right. Bell boy deceived you, and when he came to apologize you refused?"

"Precisely."

"If my memory is correct, and it _always_ is." Jane rolled her eyes. "You, short-life, have attempted to deceive floppy-hat before too."

"What! I have not!"

"Remember King Barrow-claw? How about your All-Fool's Day prank?"

Jane opened her mouth as if to protest then abruptly stopped. Her eyebrows drew together in contemplation.

Dragon tilted his head from side to side. "You still up there, Jane?"

She patted his head in reassurance. "Yes, I am still here. I was just thinking… and you are right."

He gave a snort. "Was there ever a _doubt_?"

"Silly reptile," the squire grinned at his antics. "You were right though, I _have_ tried to trick him before. Why I even went as far as leaving the castle with you, supposedly to be gone forever. Jester never held it against me. But… but this is different."

"How, Jane?"

"Because he… I mean I…" the squire huffed at her own inability to explain her confused emotions. "It just _is_."

"Well _I_ think you should talk to him. Then everything can go back to normal and I can enjoy my naps in peace." The dragon offered helpfully. Jane gave him a small kick in return. "Ow! And the sooner the better!"

Finishing their circuit, the pair drifted in a wide loop over the castle. Then Dragon spotted a bright blue speck in the Royal Gardens and began a sudden dive.

"Dragon! What are you doing?" yelled the squire as she clung to his back desperately.

"I am making _sure_ you talk to clown boy." Landing powerfully on all fours, Dragon swept his head from side to side. Suddenly there was no sign of the boy in the crazy costume to be found.

"What happened?" mumbled the confused reptile, picking up his feet to certain he had not accidently squished the lad. "He was right here."

Jane did not catch sight of Jester the whole rest of the day. At one point she had heard what sounded like the rattling of a certain silly hat, but when she turned the corner, there was no one to be seen. When he did not show up to the evening meal she assumed he was entertaining the royal family. Then Pepper informed her that the performer had chosen to eat early… alone… and had retired to his quarters immediately afterword. Ignoring the concerned looks on her friends' faces, Jane swiftly finished her stew and started off towards the knights' quarters. She needed some advice and she knew exactly where to find it.

Sir Theodore looked up from his paperwork. "Yes, Jane?"

"Sir… may I ask you for a bit of advice?"

The knight set down his quill and turned to face her, hands folded in his lap. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I have… this friend… who has been my close friend for a long time. I trust hi-this friend immensely, but now… my friend… has deceived me. Not just a silly All-Fool's Day kind of deception. He kept something _important_ back from me. Just when…" her voice trailed off, "Just when we were getting along so well.

"I got angry and yelled at him and then refused to speak to him for over half the day. All morning he kept trying to apologize, but I refused to listen. Now he is avoiding me. At first I was glad to be free of his company, but now I am beginning to worry. I am still upset with him, but I do not want to lose a friend. What should I do?"

The old knight looked into her eyes and nodded sympathetically. "Trust, once lost, is difficult to regain. However, if this friend is important to you then you must forgive him."

"But Sir-" Her mentor raised a hand, stopping her.

"Take care, squire, I have often found that young people are apt to make mistakes… especially when strong emotions are involved."

Jane cocked her head to the side, shifting through the meaning of his words. "His lying to me certainly was a mistake, but what do you mean about strong emotions?"

"I was not only referring to your friend, Jane."

"Oh," realization dawning as she thought back over her own actions of the day. "I suppose I did let my anger get the most of me."

The older knight answered thoughtfully. "It is always good to know one's own weaknesses. Only then can you work to overcome them." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Go and set things right, Jane. A good friendship is always worth saving."

She nodded in understanding then bowed. "Goodnight, Sir Theodore… and thank you."

Her mentor's mouth crinkled into a slight smile, "Goodnight, Jane."

Jane's feet moved slowly in the direction of her room, her eyes fixed on the ground before her with such an intensity one would think she was heading to an execution rather than bed. Her head turned towards the light emanating from a window in the lower half of the tower – Jester's room. She stopped, gaze softened with regret. She swallowed thickly then snapped her head away and hurried the few remaining steps to her door.

As she lit the candle above the fireplace, the soft strums of a lute wafted up from the room below. Shutters were soon pushed open and the young squire leaned out the window focusing on nothing in particular as she listened to the melancholy tune – a tune that sounded vaguely familiar. Several long minutes later Jane climbed under her quilt letting the quiet melody envelop her as she fell asleep.

* * *

**End Note: Just in case it should take me forever to update again, this is not the end.**


	7. Making Amends

**Author's Note: Yikes! It has been almost a year to the day since I uploaded the last chapter. Thanks for not giving up on this story, friends. Thanks for all the reviews/favorites/story alerts, too. They're great motivaters.**

* * *

Chapter 7 – Making Amends

Emerald eyes peeked open, but immediately squeezed shut in an attempt to block out the light that flowed freely through her open window. With a jolt, Jane shot out of bed, wide awake. She had overslept. The door whacked behind her as the squire raced down the steps. She spun around the corner and immediately skidded to a halt. Everyone else had already arrived for the morning meal leaving the only unoccupied seat … across from Jester. She bit her lip, hesitating. An uncertain frown marred her face. Finally she turned towards the practice yards, taking several steps before looking back over her shoulder at her friends.

"Jane, hurry up your porridge is getting cold!" At Pepper's call, the red-head momentarily froze then turned completely around and made her way to the table.

The knight-in-training sat and gave everyone a small smile in greeting. Her quiet, "Good morning," was met by a trio of relieved faces. However, the boy across from her seemed too interested in his bowl to even glance up. Her smile slipped away. While their friends turned back to their food and chatted away about Rake's plans for a new flower bed in the Royal Gardens, the ginger-haired girl and her blue-costumed companion remained silent, each avoiding the other's gaze.

As Jane moved to grab the pitcher, the cook quickly spoke up. "Sorry, Jane, only water this morning. Prince Cuthbert helped himself to the morning pastries and knocked over two buckets of milk in the process. I barely have enough left for the royal family."

"I do not mind, Pepper." She gave her friend a grin before her eyebrows drew together, "but the prince really ought to know better."

The squire poured herself a glass of water, then added a drop from the wizard's bottle. There was a soft rattle as the jester raised his head to watch, but her eyes remained fixed on the cup as she lifted it and took several sips.

Hoping to gain his friend's attention, the fool lightly tapped her foot with his own. Unfortunately his action so startled the girl that she dropped her mug, sending its contents splashing all over him in the process.

There was a moment of stunned silence, then Jane let out a snort… which set Jester chuckling… and soon everyone at the table was laughing whole-heartedly.

"I suppose that evens things out a bit," the minstrel said once he had managed to catch his breath.

Wiping tears from the corner of her eyes, Jane grinned and nodded.

Jester gave an inward sigh of relief. It was a start. She might not have forgiven him yet, but at least they were on speaking terms again. Why, she had even smiled at him… and laughed too. What was even better – Jane had drunk the potion, or at least a little of it. So hopefully following the instruction book today would help set things back on the right track.

oOo

"…ninety-eight…ninety-nine…one hundred!"

The king and queen applauded for their beaming daughter and her tutor.

"Can I have my picnic now?"

The king picked up the young princess and twirled her around, grinning from ear to ear. "Of course, my precious… and brilliant… pumpkin!"

"Hurrah! Come on Jester!" Princess Lavinia latched onto the court fool's arm. "We must make sure Pepper packs some strawberries!"

As he was being dragged away, the minstrel could hear the king praising his daughter's achievement to anyone within hearing distance… even those who had been in the room to witness it themselves.

After a quick stop in the kitchens, the young princess took off towards the practice yards, Jester lagging behind.

"Jane! Jane!" she yelled, running up to the knight-in-training. "Come on. It is almost time for my picnic!"

"Can you count to one hundred already?"

"Yep," she answered proudly.

The squire looked up as Jester entered the yard offering her an uncertain smile. Then she turned to the younger girl. "Where to, your highness?"

The princess paused. Her face scrunched up in concentration.

"The orchard would be a good spot," ventured the boy in blue.

"Oh yes!" cried Lavinia.

Jane nodded in approval. "The orchard it is. I will go get Dragon and meet the two of you there."

oOo

"Have you talked with bell boy yet?" Dragon started off conversationally.

They were drifting lazily over the forest. The squire leaned slightly to one side, trying to watch the little princess and her escort among the trees below without appearing overly interested.

She returned to an upright position and replied sheepishly, "Sort of."

"How do you _sort of_ have a conversation with someone? Either you talk with them or you do not."

"I talked with him this morning… but neither of us really had a chance to apologize. Everyone else was there too, and it is much easier when you are by yourselves."

A sudden, sly look crossed her face. "You know, Dragon," Jane started sweetly, "if you could keep an eye on the princess for a little while, I could go and apologize properly to Jester."

The great beast snorted. "What makes you think I would be willing to do that?"

"I will give you a nice long back scratch in return," she offered.

He considered a moment before agreeing. "Alright, but what am I supposed to do with her?"

"I do not know. Play 'Follow the Leader'. Tell her a story, maybe some jokes… just keep her occupied for a while."

"Oh! Oh! Have I got the funniest joke, Jane! …Why did the cow smile?"

She shook her head and grinned. "Why, Dragon?"

"Because she was in a good moo-d. Get it? Moooo-d? Ha-ha-ha-ha!" The flying reptile was still giggling at his own joke as they landed in a small clearing.

The princess immediately ran up to them and gave the older girl her best puppy eyes. "Jane, may I take a ride on Dragon's back? Please say yes. I will be ever so careful. And… and I will give you some of my strawberries."

"Yes, Jane," the great lizard jumped in. "And while I take the princess flying you can talk with bell-boy!"

The squire frowned at him then bent down to Lavinia's eye level. "Your Highness, it would not be safe for you to go flying with Dragon alone. You could fall off and get hurt."

"Please, Jane, pleeeease. I _promise_ I will not fall off."

The female knight turned to the jester for support. He smiled knowingly. "Princess, what if Jane accompanied you for your ride and while you are gone I will set up our picnic?"

The child nodded in agreement then held up her stuffed bunny. "Make sure you set a place for Princess Dalia as well."

"Of course." He bowed deeply to the toy, glancing up to flash a grin at Jane. Her look of pure gratitude made the boy's cheeks grow warm.

After helping get little Lavinia settled safely in front of the squire, Jester watched as Dragon took a hopping start and the trio took to the sky. He turned to spread out the blanket and then began unloading Pepper's basket. It was an easy task that was quickly finished, leaving him time to pull the worn instruction book from his pocket.

_Day Six: Give your darling a special gift._

"But what could I give Jane?" he asked aloud.

Things like jewelry or ribbons were certainly out. The redhead had not been fond of such stuff even before she became a knight-in-training. They had spent many hours together back then, avoiding Jane's mother and her embroidery lessons while secretly watching the knights practice. He remembered well the day he had given her that old suit of armor. Jane had _adored_ that gift. The boy's mouth hitched up at the memory. She had expressed her thanks by dancing with him _all_ night at the ball given in her honor for rescuing the prince. Nothing could _ever_ top that gift.

But… perhaps a new quiver for her arrows would be appreciated. The one she had now was starting to look tattered. But a court minstrel did not have the funds for something like that. Who was he kidding? He did not have any funds at all.

Jester kicked at a stray pebble and stuffed his hands into his pockets. How could he give Jane a special gift when he had no money? He could always write her a poem or even a song. Those did not cost a thing. In fact there were several such poems and songs already written, hidden deep under his mattress. But they openly revealed the minstrel's feelings… and he would not run the risk of scaring her off…

The princess's bright laughter startled the boy out of his rambling thoughts as Dragon came in for a landing. Jester decided to just give it some time. Hopefully the perfect gift idea would come to him soon.

oOo

"No. No hide-and-seek." Jane put her foot down. "The last time we played, your Highness almost fell from the top of the castle walls!" They had eaten their lunch and now the princess was eager to play some games with her two favorite subjects. "Why not play a game with Dragon instead, highness?"

"Oh yes!" cried Lavinia, jumping and clapping in excitement.

"ME?" the green lizard cried.

The squire gave him a meaningful look. "_**Yes**_, you and the princess can play together for a bit while Jester and I go for a boring old walk."

The fool looked over, eyes questioning. She met his gaze with just the hint of a smile before giving Dragon his final directions. "Just remember, _**no**_ burning or burping."

Jester wandered over towards her in a daze, his mind a jumble. He managed to appear all calmness as they walked further into the orchard, but his brain was firing rapidly. Dragon had not put up much of a fight, so Jane must have planned this. What was going on? Just yesterday the red-head had been yelling at him and ignoring him. Now she wanted to talk with him _alone_?

After their exchanges yesterday, he was not sure what to say or how to begin. So they hiked in silence. Mentally the fool was kicking himself. Since when had talking to his best friend been so difficult? Suddenly the boy felt a hand on his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Jester, I… I want to apologize for my behavior towards you yesterday. I am afraid I let my temper get the better of me."

"No Jane! No." He interjected, "You had every right to be angry with me. I am the one who should be apologizing to you. I deceived you. I embarrassed you. I – "

"But Jester," she cut him off, "I should not have held it against you as long as I did. You tried to ask for forgiveness… on several different occasions, and I refused to listen."

She paused, eyes on the ground. "I did not really mean it when I told you to leave me alone."

The squire briefly met his gaze. "Forgive me?"

Jester was hit with a sudden pang of guilt and quickly looked away.

"Of… of course." Even as he spoke the words it was building. She had gone to all these lengths to apologize to him when really **he** should be the one explaining to her and begging for forgiveness.

Jane gave a relieved sigh and resumed their stroll, Jester close beside. "I am so glad we are friends again." Her peaceful smile only added to his remorse. "I hate when we fight."

"Jane…" His mouth suddenly went very dry. "There is something I need to tell you. I-I have wanted to talk to you for some time now, but we always seem to get interrupted."

The nervousness must have sounded in his voice for the squire had stopped, eyes wide and uncertain. The bells on his hat jingled lightly as he turned to face her.

"You see, Jane, I – "

"Jane! Jester!" The princess' voice rang out among the trees. "I need you!"

The court fool closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose, his mouth a small thin line. Giving his companion an apologetic grin, Jester shook his head ruefully before galloping off into the woods.

"Coming, my little majesty!"

The squire remained rooted to her spot as she watched the blue hat disappear into the underbrush. Her head tilted to the side considering. When Lavinia called her name again, she finally turned and wandered slowly back towards the clearing.

As she drew nearer, Jane could just make out the voices of her best human friend and the youngest member of the royal family.

"We should have a tea party next!" the princess happily suggested.

"But highness, we have no tea cups or kettle –"

"Or my pretty jewelry," she pouted.

The corner of his mouth tilted up. "Yes, and we certainly cannot have a proper tea party without jewelry."

The princess let out a small sigh. "Jane always refuses to wear any anyway." With a concerned frown, she looked up at the fool. "Jester, why does Jane not like pretty dresses and jewelry and fancy hair?"

The squire stopped short and ducked behind the nearest tree, curious to hear his response.

"She is a knight-in-training, my princess. It is not that she does not like them. She just does not–"

"That apple! I want that one!" Lavinia cut him off, jumping and pointing at a nearby tree. The court fool reached up to grab the fruit, but was immediately stopped by the 6 year old.

"No! _I_ want to pick it." The child stretched up as high as she could go and jumped a few times. Frowning, she turned to the jester and commanded, "Lift me up."

The young man chuckled to himself as he stooped to grab her firmly around the waist. Jane leaned around the tree trunk. Her eyes softened as she watched her friend lift the young princess up as high as he could reach and then gently bring her back to the ground. The squire was about to step out into the clearing when Lavinia spoke up again.

"Jester, would not Jane look pretty with some of my jewelry on?"

The fool grinned to himself. "Jane is already the prettiest girl at the castle, even without jewelry… excepting yourself and the queen, of course." He added quickly.

oOo

After several cups of imaginary tea from an invisible cup, Jane decided they really ought to be heading back towards the castle. She also thought it best if she accompanied the others on foot. Her excuse to Dragon had been that she was worried about hidden bandits and stray wild boars. To which he had responded to with a sly smile and a wink. So the three picnickers went down the path side by side, with Dragon circling overhead.

The princess skipped down the middle and wasted no time in grabbing a hand from each side. Jester pulled off his hat and plopped it onto the princess's head, laughing as it slipped over her eyes. He noticed Jane stealing little glances up at his head. Using his free hand, the minstrel brushed through his hair then turned to Jane to see if he had fixed whatever was wrong. To his surprise she would not make eye contact, but stared fixedly ahead, a slight pink coloring her cheeks.

"Swing me, please," the little royal requested.

The two friends were happy to oblige. Every few steps they would simultaneously bring their arms up, lifting Lavinia into the air. Her joyous shrieks and giggles soon got them laughing as well.

After a while, the princess spotted a field of daisies. She immediately dropped their hands and took off for it. By the time the squire and court jester had caught up with her, the young girl had already plucked three flowers and was attempting to weave them together.

"I want to make a necklace for mommy queen," she explained. A few frustrating moments later she looked up at them pleadingly. "Will you help me?"

Jane rolled her eyes good-naturedly and took a seat. Jester walked around the field, picking the daisies with the longest stems and adding them to the pile beside the girls. When there were enough, he plopped down nearby and watched as his friend showed the little girl how to interlace the flowers into a long chain. It was a side of Jane that he rarely got to witness. It only came out for the princess and even then only if the knights and other members of the royal court were certain not to see.

In the end they made two necklaces, one for the queen and one for Lavinia herself. The princess had wanted to make one for Jane as well, but the squire had politely refused her offer.

By the time the trio returned to the castle it was well into the afternoon. The princess was hurried off to bed for her nap. Jester had a prince to tutor, and Jane was late for sparing practice… much to Gunther's annoyance.

Around the table later that evening, the young castle staff chatted and laughed like always. The tension from yesterday completely forgotten. Jester had arrived a bit late, but that was not out of the ordinary, especially on days when he had to work with the prince. Jane told the others about the princess' Dragon ride and her invisible tea party. The minstrel then mentioned that the apples were ripening well which sent Pepper into a tizzy about harvest and pies and tarts and sauces and breads. In the midst of her rambling, Smithy had mumbled something about an idea for an apple harvesting machine. In all, the group of friends spent a normal, pleasant evening together.

Jane gave a satisfied sigh as she walked up the steps towards her tower room. Upon opening the door, she paused. There on her pillow lay three perfect daises and one red rose tied in a bundle with a blue string. Attached to the other end of the string was a piece of parchment on which was drawn a hasty picture of a familiar floppy hat. Picking up the flowers, Jane inhaled deeply and then with a small smile turned and shut her door.

* * *

**End Note: Just one more chapter to go!**


	8. The Truth

Chapter 8 – The Truth

Heaving a great sigh, Jester wadded up the piece of parchment he had been working on, before tossing it to join the others in the small pile that was forming beside his desk. The minstrel groaned and buried his head in his hands. He was normally so good with words. They flowed from him with a natural rhythm and grace, but not today. He had to tell Jane the truth about the potion, and try thought he might, a note simply would not suffice.

His stomach rumbled loudly and the boy glanced up at his window, realizing for the first time that it was morning. He had spent the majority of the night sitting at his desk, plagued by guilt… with only a pile of useless pages to show for it.

Jester scooped up the mess and threw it all into his dwindling fire. As he watched his work burn and crumble, the minstrel glumly admitted to himself that his relationship with Jane was likely to do the same once he told her the truth. Yet he could not consider himself her true friend if he continued to lie to her. The boy thought for what seemed to be the hundredth time that he must be the biggest fool in the world. He had _finally_ gotten back into Jane's good graces and yet here he was, preparing to make her angry with him all over again. As the last paper turned to ash, the boy turned away, masked his melancholy face with a cheery smile, and walked out to join the group of friends gathered around the garden table.

Jane smiled brightly as the blue clad boy took the seat across from her, then turned back to listen as Pepper excitedly described her recipe for a new apple spice cake. Despite his normal enthusiasm for edible creations, Jester added very little to the lively chatter that surrounded him. He instead dug into his breakfast with grim determination.

"Someone is being unusually quiet this morning," Jane whispered pointedly.

Jester looked up from his porridge and shrugged. She frowned.

"You have scarcely said ten words together. Are you not feeling well?" The red-head leaned forward, getting a better look at his face. "Why Jester, you look as though you have not slept a wink! Is something wrong?"

This is it, Jester thought as he met her concerned gaze. He would explain everything: about the potion, about his lies, about why he had stayed up all night, and, most importantly, about his feelings for her. The boy opened his mouth, prepared to reveal all, but the words caught in his throat as he noticed three other pairs of eyes watching him closely.

Suddenly he was saying something about an order to write another new ballad for the King. The words were out of his mouth before Jester could stop them. After several immediate promptings to hear his new creation, the minstrel had to add that while he had stayed up much of the night he had accomplished practically nothing.

That much, at least, had been true.

Feeling guilty, the court fool quickly excused himself from their table. As he walked down the empty hallways of the castle, the minstrel's fake smile became a grimace. So much for not lying to his best friend anymore. Each new falsehood was just going make his task more difficult. Yet, he rationalized to himself, it had not seemed right to tell her about the potion in front of the others.

His own pride was partially to blame for that, he knew, but he was also concerned with how it would affect the relationships within their circle of friends. None of them really _needed_ to know… and then, at least, the group as a whole could continue on as they had always been, no matter how horribly things ended between Jane and himself.

There was Jane's pride to consider too. If there was one thing he had learned from their last rift, it was that his lovely red-head hated being embarrassed in front of others.

Jester squared his shoulders as he prepared to enter the throne room. Eyes like steel, he decided that he would just have to plan a way to get Jane alone so he could tell her everything.

oOo

Midmorning found the court fool atop the walkway that ran over the front gate, gazing out at the bright blue sky. It was always a nice quiet location around this time of day… a good spot to think and plan. Plus it offered an excellent view of the horizon in almost every direction. Jane would be returning from her morning patrol soon and he was hoping to flag her down.

"Hello, Jester."

The cheery greeting came from behind so unexpectedly that Jester nearly fell from his perch. "Jane! You startled me."

The squire grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. We flew in from the south today." She locked eyes with him. "What are you doing up _here_? Were you watching for me?" she teased.

"Wh-what? Why would I do that?" He wiped his hands on the sides of his coat nervously.

Her half smile fell, "Working on your new ballad then, I suppose."

"Well… umm…actually." His fingers began to work themselves into knots so he quickly stuffed them into his pockets. "You see…"

The court fool couldn't seem to get his brain to function. He had spent the last half hour working out an elaborate plan to get Jane by herself. It had involved some horses, a basket of carrots, and his own talents of voice mimicry. Then suddenly, here she was, and all thoughts of what he would say had whipped right out of the poor boy's head.

Jane frowned at his odd behavior. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course," he answered a bit too quickly, his voice cracking slightly on the last word.

He started and stopped three more times, but nothing sounded quite right. The minstrel knew it had to be worded exactly or else he could end up facing a very angry Jane for days if not weeks to come.

The girl's forehead creased in concern as her friend continued stuttering, "Perhaps you should go lie down for a bit."

"No, Jane. I need to – "

The redhead cut him off quickly. "No arguments now. Surely you will be able to come up with a new ballad for his Majesty once you have rested." She began to push him towards the steps. "Hopefully some sleep will help you start to act more like yourself as well."

"Jane!" Gunther appeared in the courtyard. "It is your turn to assist Sir Ivan in guarding the throne room."

The female squire gave her rival a scowl and gave her friend one more push towards his room before reaching for a nearby sword. As he watched her run off towards the castle, Jester shook his head sadly. He could mark that up as one more botched opportunity. Perhaps he needed to plan out his speech first and then worry about getting Jane alone.

oOo

Having finished with guard duty, Jane hopped down to the kitchen to help Pepper prepare for the midday meal. The pretty cook gave her a bright greeting and immediately gave the squire a fresh bushel of apples to peel and slice. The two friends chatted amiably as they worked.

"I certainly hope Jester does not spend too many nights working late. He looked as worn out as the Merchant's old cart horse this morning," Jane remarked.

When Pepper did not respond, the redhead looked up to find her friend giving her a strange little smile. "What is it? Do I have apple peelings in my hair again?"

"I am so glad you and Jester made up," she answered, stopping the other girl's search through her tangled curls. "I hate to see friends fighting."

"Yes," Jane looked down guiltily. "I was in rare form the other morning."

Pepper wisely ignored her comment and instead asked, "Do you remember the first time I made swamp water stew?"

"Of course I do. Dragon smelled of rotten cabbages for days afterward," the squire plugged her nose and waved her hand in front of it to emphasize her point.

"Well, when my Rake lied to-"

"_My_ Rake?" The squire raised an eyebrow.

"No I - I meant…" the cook blushed deeply. "When I discovered _Rake_ had lied to me about the stew I was furious. I wanted to hit him over the head with the largest pot in my kitchen. But then he explained that he had done it out of love for me and all my anger just melted away." She sighed dreamily to herself.

"Wait." Jane shook her head, remembering. "I was there. That is _not_ what he said."

The dark haired girl rolled her eyes. "But it _is_ what he _meant_."

Jane just laughed before giving her friend a warm-hearted smile. "Well I ought to go see how Jester's ballad is coming along. I imagine the king will want to hear it soon enough."

Pepper smiled knowingly at her friend's swiftly retreating form.

oOo

The female squire was beginning to worry. She had searched high and low. Her first stop had been his room. After knocking and receiving no response she had barged in, only to find the space empty. She had then gone on to look in the library, stable, grand hall, the towers, and even the dungeon.

"Jester, where _are_ you?" she half-whispered to herself in exasperation.

Just as Jane was beginning to wonder if she needed to expand her search to the forest paths, she finally spotted him, hidden behind the shrubs in the back corner of the royal gardens. He was plodding back and forth, looking mildly distressed. She hurried forward, but before she could reach him, the jester stopped his pacing to turn and knock at the wizard's tower.

She paused, surprised, when the door slowly swung open, creaking on ancient hinges. The wizard was often gone on long trips to gather supplies and even when he was home, rarely accepted visitors. Jester seemed just as stunned, jumping back a few steps as he stuttered a greeting.

"Needing more of that potion, huh boy?"

"No, no. Thank you, sir."

Jane stepped farther back behind the shrubbery, hiding herself from view. Fortunately Dragon was napping atop her tower; otherwise he surely would have given her an earful about eavesdropping.

"Has she fallen for you already, then? That is a good sign, indeed." He patted the minstrel's shoulder, and watched as the lad's countenance fell.

"Not here for more potion. Not here to gloat." The wizard's head tilted slightly, his tall hat tipping dangerously with the movement. The ghost of a smile flickered across his mouth. "You must feel guilty."

The jester hung his head as the hidden knight watched in confusion.

"What can I do, sir? I cannot keep lying to her, but I do not know how to explain the truth without ruining our friendship."

"That, I cannot help you with, my lad. Love potions are tricky things."

Jane's head jerked back, rustling the leaves behind her, but neither male seemed to have heard as the wizard continued his speech.

"These things have a way of working themselves out. You will see. Do as you think best. Your young lady may surprise you yet." With his final phrase, the older man looked up and seemed to stare right into Jane's eyes, though she was sure he could not have spotted her at such a distance. Either way, the squire figured she had better make a hasty and silent retreat.

After sneaking away from the wizard's turret, she took the steps to the top of her tower two or three at a time and went off on an early patrol before Jester would have a chance to spot her. After a brief flight, they landed at Dragon's cave.

She was absentmindedly tracing the runes that lined his walls when the great reptile sighed behind her, "Alright, Coppertop, what happened this time?"

Jane stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"You are never this quiet."

"I… I just have a lot on my mind."

"Such as…" He gestured with his claw in the air, waiting for elaboration.

She grinned cheekily at her scaly friend. "Such as… why are dragons so nosey?"

Dragon rolled his eyes, "Come on, Jane. You know you cannot keep secrets from me. Was it floppy-hat again?"

Now it was the squire's turn to sigh. She turned to face him fully. "Do you remember the potion that I have been taking with my morning meal?"

"Jane. I am a dragon. Of _course_ I remember the potion." He huffed indignantly, nose in the air, then lowered his head to give her an embarrassed look. "…the one in that little red bottle, right?"

She did her best to hide a smile behind her fist and nodded to him.

"Well, I thought it was medicine to help me get over some sickness… but, apparently," her face began to crumple, "Jester made all that up."

The large reptile tilted his head to the side. "Are you angry with him for it?"

The squire looked off into the darker recesses of his cave, considering. Dragon was about ready to repeat himself, thinking that perhaps she had not heard him, when she turned a pair of sad, confused eyes back to face him.

"No. I am not angry with him," she sounded almost surprised at herself.

Dragon dropped down to his stomach, eyeing her warily. "Are you _sure_ you do not need some type of medicine? You have been acting very different lately."

She met his gaze nervously. "In what ways?"

"You just… behave strangely, but mostly around Jester… kind of lovey-dovey, like how he always acts around you."

She sighed quietly. "I think potion is responsible for that."

A bright grin spread across the reptile's face. "Well that is easy enough to fix. Just stop taking the potion."

The worry in Jane's eyes melted into disappointment. "I suppose so."

Dragon completely missed the unhappy tone of her reply as he was attacked with a sudden bout of itching just behind his left ear. Laying there, scratching at his neck, Jane thought he looked like a big puppy, though the others never believed her when she told them how cute the giant lizard could be.

Her brief smile dropped as she turned to go sit out in the afternoon sun. Pulling her knees to her chest, the red-head began to blink rapidly. Had Dragon come out and asked, she was completely prepared to blame it on the slanting rays of the sun and the brisk wind.

It was almost too much to take in. Knowledge of the real purpose of the potion combined with her own confused emotions left the squire feeling bewildered and strangely disappointed. She needed to talk things out, but the one person she most wanted to turn to was the very one she was no longer sure how to approach.

Wiping furtively at her cheek with her fist, Jane murmured something about enjoying all the lovey-dovey strangeness.

oOo

The castle kitchen was filled with the tempting aroma of warm bread and tart apples as the female squire trudged down the worn stone steps. Hearing her approach, Pepper turned to glare up at her friend, hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Where did you run off to? You missed lunch!"

"I know. My stomach has been reminding me what a bad idea that tends to be." Her belly let out a loud rumble as if to accentuate her point.

"I do not have time to reheat your stew, but I did save you a bowl there on the table." The cook turned back to her wash bin, thoroughly scrubbing each spoon and pot so it would be ready to use for the evening meal.

As she moved to pick up her missed meal, Jane stopped. She turned back. There on Pepper's main work area sat a cup holding a lovely red rose.

"Pepper?" she called with a slight grin.

Her friend's long braid swished as she turned around, "Yes?"

The squire picked up the cup gingerly. "Did Rake bring you a flower?"

The young cook smiled shyly. "Yes. He has brought me a flower nearly every day this week."

"Probably the most beautiful ones in the garden, too," the squire grinned.

Pepper sighed happily, "Oh Jane, he is the sweetest, most wonderful boy I have ever known."

"So," the red-head's smile turned sly, "has he kissed you yet?"

The shorter girl's eyes grew wide as her face reddened. She attempted to sputter a reply. Jane just laughed, then, with a wide grin, hugged her friend. "I am so happy for you, Pepper."

Her friend smiled in return and thanked her before going back to the dishes. The knight-in-training went to pick up her lunch, but frowned as she saw not one bowl, but two.

"Pepper, why are there two bowls here?"

"Jester did not show up for the midday meal either." She twisted around, frowning sternly, "If you two are arguing again, take it to him and patch things up."

Jane tucked a loaf of bread under her arm and grabbed both bowls before heading up the stairs to the courtyard.

"Yes, Mrs. Gardener," she called back over her shoulder.

Pepper spun around, cheeks blazing, and attempted to give her friend a stern look through her embarrassed smile, but the squire was already gone, her laughing snort carrying back through the open door.

Once again Jane found herself searching for her best human friend. This time, however, she opted to start in the royal gardens. As she headed towards the wizard's turret, the squire spotted a bit of bright blue. There he sat, just outside the back gate, beneath a large shade tree.

Jane took a seat beside him, both friends looking out across the sea. She nudged his shoulder and handed him a bowl and half the bread. They ate in silence for a while, neither sure how to begin a conversation.

The red-head was the first to finally speak. "I never got a chance to thank you for my flowers."

Jester gave her a brief smile. He had almost forgotten about those. "You are more than welcome, fair maiden."

She sighed quietly, then stood, taking his empty bowl along with her own. "I should be going. Dragon will wake up from his afternoon nap soon. He wanted to show me a new herd of cows he spotted last night. Said they have the sweetest moos he ever heard. Though I do not know how you can call a moo sweet…" She was rambling and they both knew it.

The minstrel reached up and grabbed her wrist before she could turn to leave. "Wait, Jane. I need to talk to you…"

She paused at the contact. He took the bowls from her hands and laid them on the ground, then stood to face her. The boy took his hat off to run a hand through his hair. Taking a deep breath, he began, "Jane, I have been keeping a secret from you."

There was a confusion and sadness creeping into her bright green eyes that the minstrel could not bear to see. He turned his gaze away and continued on, afraid that if he stopped for too long he would lose his nerve.

"I am sure it comes as no surprise that I think highly of you." His eyes once again met hers, the simple honesty of his words shining through. "You are amazing, and strong, and fearless, and beautiful, and… and Jane, I _like_ you. Not just as my best friend."

He reached for her hand and sighed quietly. "I like you much more than that. _Much_ more."

The corner of Jane's mouth turned up and her cheeks felt warm.

"But," he continued, dropping his hold on her hand and turning to look out towards the sea, "I know that I could never truly deserve you. You should have someone _brave_ who could ride into battle by your side." The boy scoffed. "I am _not_ brave. Why, it has taken me days to simply work up the courage to tell you how I feel."

"Oh Jester," she murmured, stepping closer.

"Then the wizard offered me a potion." He turned back to face her, surprised as her nearness.

Jane raised an eyebrow and pulled the red bottle from her pocket. Jester looked away and nodded his head once before reaching into his own pocket to retrieve the booklet.

"He also gave me this and said that if I followed his instructions precisely you would…" the boy swallowed and briefly met her gaze before lowering his head. "He said you would fall in love with me." Jester looked back up, searching her face with remorseful, uncertain eyes.

With a shaky breath, the redhead looked away. For a few moments the boy worried that her temper would flare, but when she again met his face he saw sorrow, not anger.

"So you lied to me about the potion." It was more a statement than a question, but he nodded his head just the same. She opened her mouth to continue, but he was faster.

"Jane, I truly lived up to my title - a _fool_. I know that my cowardice and my lying tongue make me unworthy of your forgiveness or even your trust. I was wrong to give you the potion. I was wrong to lie to you about it. I–" He was rushing, words tripping over one another in his hurry to be understood. "I was not thinking clearly. I felt desperate. And now… even if you were to like me in return, I would never know if it was really you or if it was the potion."

He paused, out of breath, as she considered his words.

"Neither would I," she whispered to herself.

"What was that?"

Jane's head shot up as she took a step or two back. He had not been meant to hear those words. Her mind racing, she quickly spout out, "So why was I smelling roses?"

It was not the response he was expecting, but the minstrel answered just the same. "I think the potion was actually _causing_ you to smell roses."

She tilted her head, thinking it through. His reply to her haphazard question was not making sense.

"But…" her brow creased in confusion, "…but I have continued taking the potion, and I have not smelled roses since." She frowned slightly. "I _had_ thought that meant the potion was working."

This new information took the Jester completely by surprise. He stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Well those questions are easy enough to answer." The pair jumped at the new voice behind them. The wizard had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He turned to the boy with a satisfied smile.

"The potion you have been giving this fair young lady is nothing more than rose water."

He chuckled at their shocked expressions. "It has a lovely fragrance, but does very little else."

Jane, eyebrow raised, started to speak up, "But – "

The wizard cut her off almost immediately. "Of course the last few days you have not smelled roses, but that is because your bottle has been emptied, then refilled with fountain water. You can thank the _other_ squire for that, I think."

The old man's eyes twinkled as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "The finest rose water or smelly bog water, it makes no difference really. My bottled mixture does nothing whatsoever."

Jester stared in bewilderment as the wizard turned to him. "The real power of this potion comes in giving you the courage to let your young lady know how you feel."

"But… I only told her of my feelings just now," the lad replied, "and Jane has been behaving differently towards me from the very beginning."

"There are other ways to reveal your feelings."

The minstrel's face softened in realization. "You mean the instruction book?"

The wizard smiled, "I _mean_ your actions."

Jane looked back and forth between the pair uncertainly. "So, I am not under a spell?"

Jester turned to her, his face aglow. "No. There was no potion and no spell."

The young man took several steps in her direction, but was stopped when she dipped her head and raised her hand slightly. His smile faded as she met his gaze.

"But you _have_ been deceiving me."

Jester bit his lip and nodded solemnly. She was still stuck on his stupid lies. He had just laid bare his soul, and all she could discuss was the fake potion and his deceptions. Jester sighed; at least she was not coming at him with a sword or asking Dragon to fry him on the spot. Just as he was giving up all hope a small smile graced Jane's face which then grew into a wry grin.

"Pepper was right."

Jester frowned at her sudden change. "Right about what?"

She blushed slightly. "It is hard to stay angry at someone when they only did what they did out of love."

Before he had a chance to ask any questions, she closed the gap between them… and punched him in the arm. "That is for lying to me."

The minstrel was still rubbing at the spot she had hit when Jane threw her arms around his shoulders. He stood frozen for a moment before returning her embrace, a silly grin plastered on his face. The old wizard smiled at the pair and disappeared silently through the castle gate.

Jester would have been content to stay like that for the remainder of the day. Jane, however, was already starting to loosen her grip, but before he could release her completely, she surprised him by tipping her head to place a feather-light kiss on his cheek. She leaned back slightly, her arms still looped loosely around his neck, with a grin that was both slightly embarrassed and self-satisfied.

The minstrel felt his cheeks heating up. "What was that for?"

He was hoping desperately that it was something he could easily repeat and that it was something that would not require him to release his hold on her waist.

"I am just so relieved to know that I am not under a spell… and…" her cheeks were becoming the loveliest shade of pink, "… and… well, because I just might like you too."

Grey eyes grew wide, "Truly?"

Glancing away, she gave a small nod.

"I think I have always liked you. I just never realized how much you meant to me until you starting acting so differently."

He reached up to push a stray curl behind her ear, letting his hand pause to trace the side of her face. Their eyes locked. Jester's heart pounded inside his chest. Their noses were only inches apart. Perhaps if he moved forward ever so slowly…

Jane met him halfway.

Their kiss was short, but it left both young people with faces red as the tomatoes in Rake's garden. Jester's grin stretched so wide he thought his face might split. The responding twinkle in Jane's green eyes only made his heart beat harder.

"So, a love potion huh?" she teased.

"A _fake_ love potion. And even without it, I would have worked up the courage to tell you my feelings… eventually."

"Well, I am glad the wizard's potion helped hurry the process along."

She gave him a smile unlike any he had seen before and leaned in to capture his lips again. Jester smiled into her kiss before returning it tenderly. He hoped the wizard knew how grateful he was for that little red bottle and important instruction booklet.

* * *

**End Note: Horray! It's finally done! Thanks to all of you who stuck with me through to the end, who pushed me and pleaded with me and encouraged me. You guys are the best!**


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